


The Future is Yours to Decide

by Adeadlymusician



Series: The Future is Yours to Decide [1]
Category: Xenoblade Chronicles, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Child Death, Lack of Communication, Mass Murder, Mild Suicidal Ideation, Miscommunication, Multi, Serial Killers, Time Travel Fix-It, mild panic attacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:27:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 65,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24851551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adeadlymusician/pseuds/Adeadlymusician
Summary: Pneuma and Logos had been fully prepared to sacrifice their lives to change the world. They had finally found their purpose in the world- Pneuma, in helping Rex and Logos, in helping Jin. They held no regrets as they stared Death in the face for the final time.It's too bad that their estranged brother had other plans.
Relationships: Hikari | Mythra/Homura | Pyra/Pneuma/Rex, Hikari | Mythra/Homura | Pyra/Rex, Lora/Shin | Jin, Yuugo Eru Superbia | Hugo Ardanach/Living
Series: The Future is Yours to Decide [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1962799
Comments: 257
Kudos: 174





	1. "The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living"

**Author's Note:**

> This will spoil the entirety of Xenoblade Chronicles, Future Connected, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and Torna the Golden Country. 
> 
> The title of this chapter comes from Marcus Tullius Cicero.
> 
> This is also technically a reupload because this special dumbass somehow backdated the fic by accident. Yay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My jams for this chapter (in order): Lasaria Woodlands (TTGC), Where it all Began (XC2), Elysium in the Blue Sky (XC2), Loneliness (XC2), Intrigue (XC1)

The scenery was achingly familiar and shockingly foreign at the same time. A cool breeze filled the valley, the leaves dancing delicately to a peaceful melody. The birds happily chipped away, welcoming the first few rays of the morning sun. Lush flora dotted the area with various shades of green, a sharp contrast to the stark grey of the cliff sides. Nia’s footsteps echoed unobstructed around her, reminding her that she was truly alone in the wilderness.

"Rotting Leaves, Lilies, Maple…." She murmured to herself, scattering the flora beneath her fingers. Unsatisfied, she stood up and wandered further into the woodlands. A brisk gust blew tendrils of hair into her face as she tentatively scanned the area. The Buloofos and Volffs eyed her cautiously from afar yet made no move to approach. She was grateful that they kept their distance; the last thing she wanted was to be drawn into a fight in unfamiliar territory. 

As Nia approached a dead end, her nose was assaulted by the strong stench of blood. The deeper into the woods she wandered, the stronger the smell became. She plugged her nose in an fruitless attempt to block it out. Reaching the end of the woodlands, she noticed the eviscerated bodies of several Volff and Buloofo lining the floor of the forest. The behavior of the animals earlier suddenly made sense. She approached the corpses, looking at the methodical slash marks. It immediately struck her as odd that the bodies weren’t covered in leaves nor decomposed. She reached out and, sure enough, the bodies were still in rigor mortis. She gasped, frantically twisting her head back and forth. There was nothing there but herself and the creatures of the forest. 

“Definitely a blade…” Nia murmured, shivering, as she turned away from the bodies. She couldn’t help feeling that she should know what blade made those marks but her mind was drawing a blank. Walking back into the forest, she found another patch of flowers. A cursory dug resulted in what she was looking for: Holly leaves. While she wasn't familiar with this particular species, the plant would serve its purpose. On second thought, she backtracked to the first patch and grabbed some maple. Holly was not the most pleasant tasting plant in the world. She and Rex had been through enough in the last twenty four hours. The least she could do is make the aftermath a little more bearable for them both. For them all, really.

The walk back to their temporary camp was a quiet one. When Nia entered the burnt village again, the sight and the putrid scent gave her goose flesh. She didn’t know exactly what happened but she had a feeling that she didn’t want to know. Upon arriving at the camp, she took out the kettle that Zeke had given Rex on his birthday, summoning some water to fill it. 

"Crossette, if you would..?" Nia called out. With the snap of her blade's fingers, the firewood immediately caught fire. She fixed the kettle on the rope, sitting down as she waited for the water to boil. She turned to Rex, placing a hand on his stomach. His temperature was still dangerously high but it had gone down somewhat since she last checked. His skin was pasty and he was sweating profusely. Turning back to the material that she gathered, she methodically removed the berry from the leaves, setting them aside to store later. She would have to ask Pyra about the medicinal uses of the berry when the Aegis got back from her mission. 

"My lady…" Dromarch called, voice slightly muffled, settling beside her. There were four sizable fish in his mouth. Trout, by the look of it.

“Oh good. He’ll need to eat soon,” Nia remarked. “I’ll start roasting as soon as I get his tea steeping.”

“You’re going to cook…? Are you sure, my lady?” Dromarch inquired. Nia smiled softly, ruffling the fur on his face. She giggled at his disgruntled expression.

“Of course. Crossette and Pyra have been teaching me some things. It won’t be as good as them, though.” 

“Oh! I can cook Nia!” Crossette exclaimed, zooming around. Nia smiled, waving a hand in front of her face.

“That’s alright. I'm really too distracted to be looking out for wandering travelers. I need you to do that for me. The last thing we need is to have curious eyes here,” She said. “Especially for people with blades. Someone did some nasty damage to some of the wildlife back there.”

“Gotcha!” With that, she skated away, perching herself on the cliff by the main road. It allowed her to keep an eye out without being seen. Nia chuckled.

"To think we would end up here of all places…" Dromarch murmured to himself, curling up beside her. Nia hummed in agreement as she added leaves to a cup. She couldn’t quite believe it herself. Then again, she couldn’t be entirely surprised. The entire journey with Rex had shattered any and all of her conceptions of how the world worked. She hissed when she splashed some of the boiling water on herself while pouring it into the cup. She set the pot down, her hands shaking slightly. 

"Hgh…" Rex groaned, his face scrunching up in pain. Nia's heart ached for him. She fished out the leaves from the tea, added some maple, and set the cup in front of Rex. She prepared the fish to cook as he gingerly sipped on the tea, wincing every so often.

“Sorry. There’s not much more I can do about the taste,” Nia said, inhaling the smell of sizzling trout. It was not a type of fish that she got to indulge in often. Least of all a species native to Torna.

“It’s… It’s okay…” Rex managed to rasp out before dissolving into a deep cough. Nia turned her head and glared at him, her ears fluttering. 

“What did I tell you? You need to rest your voice!” She chided. Rex glared, his face flushed with fever and indignation, and continued to gingerly sip his drink. 

Dromarch picked his head up, eyes narrowing as he gazed down the road. He could hear unfamiliar footsteps in the distance. He stood up, creeping towards the noise. Crossette nodded at him when he passed by. He stuck close to the cliff side, hunching down. The footsteps got closer and closer. He lowered himself further, prepared to strike and scare the person away. He relaxed when he spotted Pyra in the distance. 

“Dromarch,” She greeted, nodding. He nodded back and started walking behind her back to camp. He had forgotten, in their rush towards the World Tree, that her appearance had changed after awakening Pneuma. Her hair was a soft pink color, divided into twintails that hung all the way down to her waist. A thin headband with a small pink crystal kept the stray hair out of her face. Her outfit reminded him of PoppiQTπ, the colors a combination of red, white, and pink, complimenting her red eyes. She even managed to change the color and shape of the core crystal, making it seem more like a pink colored gem and less like a crystal.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” He asked, the tension between the two of them so thick he could slice it with his claws. When she had first set off, he had noticed that Pyra had been unusually stilted. Her aloofness wasn’t surprising since the events of Torna still remained a sore subject for the Aegis. Now, however, she somehow seemed more tense now, evident in the way she held her shoulders and the creases on her face.

“I… found something, that’s for sure,” She replied, her voice void of emotion. Dromarch didn’t like the sound of that. An uncomfortable feeling settled in his gut, weighing him down. It was never a good thing when something was bothering one of the strongest beings in the universe.

Upon arriving at camp, the two found Rex and Nia devouring the first batch of trout. The tiger immediately sat at his drivers side, gratefully taking the bits of fish that she offered him. Pyra called for Crossette to join them as she sat down on the log next to Rex, lifelessly snapping her fingers to create a small flame. Nia immediately picked up on the tension in Pyra, her ears folding back. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” She asked. The Aegis brought her hands to her face, sighing deeply. Rex’s eyes widened in alarm, wrapping her arm around her. She leaned into the embrace, her body shaking wildly. 

“There…. There’s a village just up ahead. It’s called Feltley Village. Malos… had destroyed it, leaving a giant crater of black glass behind,” Pyra said, closing her eyes. “The village… The village is still there. Some of the villagers just greeted me and offered me some food.”

“That’s a good thing, right?” Nia said, crossing her arms. “That means Malos hasn’t been to this region yet.”

“No, it’s not that. After entering the village, Mythra recommended that we ask some of the villagers about Addam. I approached Isabella, a researcher, and asked if the Aegis had passed through here with Addam. They said that we just missed them and a red haired driver with two blades,” Pyra said, looking away. “We’ve changed history, Nia. We didn’t even do anything and we’ve already changed history.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me...!” Nia exclaimed, eyes blown wide. Dromarch closed his eyes, already feeling a headache forming. Rex took a sudden intake of air which set off another coughing fit, hunching over in pain. Pyra glanced up at him with concern. He waved his hand back and forth, trying to reassure her. Nia offered to make him another cup of tea, which he gratefully accepted.

“You need to rest, Rex,” Pyra murmured, rubbing his back lightly. He gave a thin lipped smile, his face still contorted in pain. 

“... What of Zeke, Mòrag, and Gramps? Or Tora and Poppi? Have you heard anything about them?” Crossette spoke up, plopping herself down next to Dromarch. Pyra shook her head.

“Nothing. This is only one region of Torna, however. It’s likely that the blast ejected them to another part of the titan,” She remarked, tucking some loose hair out of her face. “I don’t know how we’re going to get there. Addam already left with the ship. Not that we would have been able to get on the ship, anyway. There aren’t as many passenger ships that the general public can get on.”

A strained silence fell on the group. Pyra glanced at Rex out of the corner of her eye. His sullen and pensive expression made him seem so much older than he actually was. It hurt to see how he took the weight of the world on his tiny shoulders. She pulled him into an embrace, resting her head on top of his. It wasn’t fair. They were supposed to be done with saving the world. They defeated Amalthus, Indol, Malos, _Torna_. They sacrificed and grew so much to save the world yet here they were, five hundred years in the past. Five hundred years in the past whose events unbeknownst to anyone started the decline of the world. Five hundred years in the past where the threat still existed. 

It wasn’t fair. But they were here now, regardless of what they wanted. And she didn’t know what they would do, what they could do... Simply by just existing, the events of history had already changed. They had originally planned, on the night following their arrival, to leave the timeline as it happened up until the confrontation against Malos. That would give them a couple of months to search for the others and make a proper plan to deal with Malos. It would also allow them to remain anonymous for as long as possible and avoid being detained out of fear or ignorance. 

That plan had already failed before they even lifted a finger. Something else was bothering her, too. Feltley being destroyed by Malos was what drew Addam to the Lasaria Region. Yet with the village intact, he would have had no reason to be on this part of the Titan. Pyra had combed through Mythra's memories when they first woke up to make sure that they wouldn't accidentally put themselves in harm's way; she could think of no logical reason for Addam to be here without the crater. Unless…. There was someone else that got ejected here too? Could they be the one responsible for the change? She doubted their missing traveling companions would attempt to fend off Malos alone. So that begged the question: who saved Feltley Village? And why?

“Wait. The village wasn’t destroyed. We’ll be able to access the region around the capital from there!” She exclaimed, letting go of Rex.

“Why in that region?” Nia asked, crossing her arms. Mythra appeared in a flash of light.

“It’s the center of commerce for the country. Most of the bigger shops for weapons and food are located there. Thus, we would have the greatest chances of finding some of our friends there,” She said, twirling her hair. “But it’s also equally as likely that we won't find anyone there, especially Mòrag. She must know that she would stick out like a sore thumb with Brighid and Aegaeon following her.” 

“That is true. Didn’t Torna and Mor Ardain have a cordial relationship?” Dromarch inquired, pawing at his face.

“Yes. Emperor Hugo and Addam knew each other before the war began. And Torna was indebted to Mor Ardain thanks to Hugo's efforts in Addam's militia,” Mythra said, looking away. Rex put a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

“So.. what’s the plan? Do we stake out the capital and see what it’s like? Or...” Nia asked. Mythra shook her head.

“No. We need to be careful. The Tornan population is... small compared to what you are all used to. We’re going to stick out like sore thumbs,” Mythra said, glancing down at herself. “I think it would be wise if we stick to a low profile as planned. If we need something from the capital, it would be best if only one of us enters. We don’t need the past me coming after us. Especially since they have Haze and Jin.”

“Haze….? Oh, you mean Fan?” Nia asked. Mythra nodded.

“So…. Is there any place we could hide out? We won’t be able to stay here forever,” Crossette commented, wrapping her arms around her legs.

“I don’t know. Torna has a lot of natural cavern systems. We could hide out there temporarily until we come up with another plan of action. We won’t be able to stay in one place forever.” Mythra said. “There’s actually one just past the desert. We’ll have to wade through some acid water, though.” 

“I’d rather avoid any place that has acid water. Rex is already so sick,” Nia said, shaking her head. “If there was a way we could get to Gormott, could we go there? Maybe Torigoth?”

“...No. Torigoth has been razed by some of the Coeain forces. All of the inhabitants have been… Well.” Mythra trailed off. “Besides, Mor Ardain is keeping a close eye on Gormott right now. If all goes well, Hugo will join Lora and Addam. I'd rather not risk the possibility of changing anything else right now.”

“Then where can we go?” Crossette asked, laying her head on her knees. A heavy silence descended on the group. Nia really wished they had the guidance of Gramps right about now.  
  


_═════════•°• :Feltley Village, Lasaria Region, Torna. •°•═════════_

Gort sneered as he watched Addam and the Aegis exit the village with that brat and her blades trailing behind them. The audacity of that thief…! After a moment, a wicked grin appeared on his face, a plan forming in his head. He started to slowly make his way to his blade, Josef, sticking to the shadows and avoiding the moonlight.

They made it no secret that they were heading for Torigoth, thanks to that damn blabbermouth of a prince. Too bad they weren't aware of what would await them. All he needed to do was hire some mercenaries, preferably human, and take down the unsuspecting group when they first arrived at the graves. Then he could reclaim his prize. He would need to get the Aegis out of the way, however. No one except Malos would stand a chance against that bitch.

He motioned for Josef to set up a connection with his employer. Yes, the Aegis would remain a thorn in his side. How would he separate the brat from-

A sudden gust of wind rustled the leaves behind him, taking him out of his thoughts. Gort froze, a feeling of dread settling in his stomach. Before he could turn around, a hand reached from behind and wrapped around his eyes, gripping tightly. “Uh uh uh. I wouldn’t try that if I were you.”

Josef stared for a moment before summoning its weapons, preparing to strike. Before it could muster an attack, it was completely enveloped by an ominous cloud of ether energy. Josef convulsed and thrashed painfully as the very cells of its body were leached of their energy. It reached out towards its driver before dissipating completely into a puff of ether. 

“Now. Where were we?” His captor commented. Gort could almost hear the smirk in his voice. “Ah, yes. You were about to contact your ‘employer’. What exactly does Amalthus want with that group of travelers, hmm?”

“I… I d-d-d-d-don’t know what you’re talking about. Hel-” The hand around his eyes slid down to his jaw, gripping it so tightly that the bone shattered instantly. Gort screamed in pain, the sound muffled by the man's palm.

“Now now now. That’s no way to treat someone who simply asked a question,” The captor flipped him around and pushed him against a tree. They locked eyes. “Now I won’t ask again. What did he put you up to?”

“I.. I want that blade,” Gort managed to huff out, words heavily slurred as saliva built in his mouth. “He only wants… core crystals. I just want…. That blade,”

“What blade?!” The man demanded, pushing him against the tree so hard that he almost toppled it. Gort sunk down a little, not trusting the look of fire in those eyes.

“I want…… I want the paragon,” Gort huffed, slobber running down his chin. “I want that blade. He’s mine!”

“You want Jin...?” The man asked, completely in disbelief. Gort’s eyes widened, his gut churning with anxiety. He took another intake of breath, preparing to shout for help.

Before he could finish inhaling, however, the man wrapped his hand around the human’s throat, squeezing with all his strength. His neck snapped without any resistance, killing him instantly. An inferno of emotions raged behind his eyes as the man drug the lifeless body to the edge of the titan. He chuckled before throwing it off the edge, watching with glee as it careened towards the Cloud Sea.

“Wrong answer.” 


	2. "The best thing to hold onto in life is each other"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Addam “I must help everyone I come across” Orrigo and company set foot in the land of the jazzy soprano sax, a young boy has a dream, and the dynamic trio™ join the militia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! I love you guys so much! I was not expecting this to be this popular (although I guess we’ve all been starved of the whole combined universe thing for a while now.) Thank you to everyone who commented and thanks most of all for being patient with me! 
> 
> Chapter title comes from Audrey Hepburn.
> 
> I'm not super proud with the pacing in this chapter but I tried. Special thanks to Archduchess Fayewen Aldivir of the Kingdom of Ramdal. You have been an amazing friend and I can't wait to see you soon!
> 
> My jams for this chapter, in order: Disquiet (XC1), The Four Limbed titan (TTGC), Futures that Lie Ahead (XC1)

_═════════•°• :Cloud Sea, Alrest. •°•═════════_

The ship creaked and groaned as rain pelted it from all sides. The wind howled alongside them, eagerly calling for its mate. Lora sat huddled against her blades in the northeast corner of the ship. She glanced outside uneasily, bile rising in her throat. She was certain that she would not be able to see her hand if she stuck it outside.

"I'm sorry, Master Addam. I had no idea that this storm was coming," the pilot’s apprentice called nervously, sensing the uneasiness in the room.

"No worries, Gedd. Just focus on getting us to Torigoth," Addam replied, sitting back. He closed his eyes, sighing. "This is the second strong storm in two weeks."

"I've never seen anything like it," Lora remarked, clutching her fingers together. Haze rested her head on her shoulder, placing her hand over her drivers. She didn't share Lora's fear of storms but even she was slightly unnerved slightly by this one.

"Indeed. Alisha must be loving this weather," Addam said softly, turning his head to watch the weather outside. "She loves the sound of the rain hitting the roof. I wish I could be with her right about now."

"Alisha?" Mythra asked, her eyes focused on the downpour, the corners of her lips downturned. 

"My wife. She's back home at Aletta now. She'll be due soon with our firstborn," Addam said, grinning. Lora and Haze gasped in unison. Mikhail glanced up, slightly interested in the conversation.

"You have a pregnant wife?!" Lora asked, tilting her head slightly. “Why am I only now hearing this?!”

"Yes, well. We were childhood friends and married young. She's the love of my life," Addam said wistfully, his eyes sparkling with joy. "I'll introduce you all to her when we stop by my homestead."

"Wow. I didn't think you had it in you,” Mythra said. He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. Milton shoved her away, grinning at the indignant squawk she let out.

“Glad to hear the vote of confidence from you, Mythra,” He said, his face falling slightly. “Although I’m not sure I have it in me to be a father. I never knew who my father was until I was already married.”

“You never knew you were a prince? How?” Haze asked. 

“It’s a long story. Not one we’re going to have time for right now,” He said, nodding in the direction of the looming shadow of Gormott. Lora hummed in acknowledgement, leaning into Jin for comfort.

"I'm sure you'll be a great father Addam," the ice blade commented. He smiled cheekily.

"Thanks. We have an Aegis to track down first. I can't rest until I know Alrest will be safe from his brand of terror," Addam vowed. The strength of his convictions set shivers through Mythra’s body. She resisted the urge to curl herself into a ball, willing herself to be strong.

Despite the horrid downpour, Gedd had little problem docking the ship. Once the rain lightened up, Lora and her traveling companions disembarked. She landed on solid ground, shivering in delight as her anxiety settled. The sound of someone strumming what sounded like a Torigonda and an Ardanian instrument drew Lora’s attention to the square. The traveling musicians smiled at her once they realized she was listening to them. After playing a little jingle, Lora gave a round of applause. She searched through her bag for some coin, offering some as a tip.

“You don’t have to do that, lass,” the Ardanian said. Lora shook her head, placing the coin in the Urayan’s hand.

“I don’t mind. I know all too well the pain of being poor,” She said. The two musicians looked at each other for a second before nodding. 

“Then may we have the honor of knowing your name?” the Ardanian asked.

“My name is Lora. This is Jin and Haze,” She introduced.

“What a lovely name for a lovely person. I am Leo and this is my partner Azzarn. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lora.” Leo said, taking a bow.

“Likewise,” Haze said, nodding. The musicians gave a bright smile as they started a new song, the melody soaring through the air with unrestrained glee. 

“Wow…” Lora said, eye sparkling as she faced the wide open plains of Gormott. There was so much… space. And there was so much green! She couldn’t even see the ends of the plains from where she was standing. It was so foreign to Torna yet so familiar at the same time. She couldn’t help but want to diverge from the beaten path just to explore what the titan had to offer. 

“Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen something so big before,” Haze remarked, looking around. Jin snorted, standing by his driver. “I can see why Rynea would want to settle here.”

“Yeah. I could see myself living here one day,” Lora said to herself, a slight breeze caressing her face.

“Mhmm,” Jin affirmed, wrapping his arm around her. She leaned into his touch, smiling softly. The two stood in the embrace for a moment, letting the sounds of the musicians and nature cascade around them. She could easily see them building a home together here to live out the rest of their lives.

“Ahem. Am I interrupting something?” Addam asked, his voice dropping low and deep. “Do we need to give you two some space?”

“That… won’t be necessary,” Jin said, his face tinted red. He immediately backed away from Lora. 

“Is that a Lefthierian accent I hear?” Lora inquired, looking at Addam. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Addam said. “Anyways, we’re going to be making a slight detour, if that’s alright with you?”

“Hmm?” 

“There’s a newbie driver. Her name is Lyta and she wants to explore Gormott to get stronger. She’s a little nervous about setting off on our own, though,” He explained. “I offered to let us follow from a distance so that we could step in if things got rough.”

“I knew this would happen. I knew we would end up stepping into something like this because of Mr. Goody Two shoes here,” Mythra murmured, crossing her arms. 

“Come off it now, Mythra,” He replied. “So, what do you say?”

“Do they have a plan as to where they want to go?” Jin asked. “We won’t be able to follow them forever.”

“Yes. They want to head towards Serene Springside first,” He said. 

“Hmm. That should be somewhere on the titan’s back. I doubt it would be far from where we are,” Haze said. “I’m okay with tagging along. What about you, my lady?”

“Sure! Why not? I have to admit that I’m kinda curious about the wildlife and the landscape,” Lora said. Addam chuckled.

“Awesome! I’ll let them know and then we’ll be on our way!” Addam started to rush off but was stopped by Mythra.

“Aren’t you going to tell them about the others you promised to help?” She asked, smirking. He rubbed the back of his head.

“Well, right. There’s a Nopon called Macmac that wants us to destroy Green barrels which contain Red Pollen Orbs. They’re considered illegal in the world of Nopon commerce,” Addam said. “We’ve already dealt with the ones around Feltley Village. And I already took care of three that were around the cove.”

“Red Pollen Orbs… Green Barrels.. Are you talking about these things?” Lora asked, pulling out a small, crimson orb. Addam nodded.

“And?” Mythra drawled, smirking. The prince sighed dramatically.

“And there’s a blade called Krogane that wants us to prove that we can perform Level 2 Blade combos,” He admitted sheepishly.

“Is there anyone else you swore to help?” Lora asked, narrowing her eyes.

“That’s all of them! I swear!” He defended, puffing his chest out. 

“For now,” Mythra said ominously. “Come on. We have a driver to tail,” 

With Lyta marching ahead several paces, the group set off. It didn’t take long before they left the beaten path, heading north towards the Oasis. Lora couldn’t resist the jolt of excitement that raced up her spine. She had never seen so many creatures gathered in one place. It was no wonder that this place could give people a run for their money. Luckily, neither Lyta nor their group ran into trouble along the way. 

“Newbie driver indeed….” Lora murmured, watching the girl inhale the Deviled Baguettes that Jin had made when they had last camped. Her blade grunted in affirmation.

“If you die here, I’m going to name this place after you,” Kaeda scoffed, turning away. “Lyta Oasis has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

After sheepishly thanking them, the driver and blade combo started walking along the tree roots. As she walked, Lora reached out and brushed her hand against the root in awe. Torna had trees, of course, but they never grew to this size. Her eyes followed the length of the root where it extended up on top of a cliff.

“I wonder what’s up there,” Lora said to herself, backing up to get a better view. 

“Tirkin, if I’m not mistaken,” Addam replied, following her gaze. “They've made a home of the Saint’s Practice Ground.”

“Tirkin? Like the Tirkin of the Cliff Colony in Aletta?”

“Exactly. They’re strong, intelligent little buggers. I wouldn’t recommend trying to take them on alone,” He murmured, a dark look crossing his face. Lora gazed at him curiously before turning to follow her blades. The group trekked across the plains, narrowly avoiding the Volff and Aspars that prowled around. She moved close to Mythra, watching the creatures out of the corner of her eyes. The Aspars creeped her out; Jin had constantly warned her about the dangers of Aspar venom when they first set out traveling all those years ago. Even when she awakened Haze, that fear never left her. A sudden lack of movement caught her eyes. Lyta and Kaeda had stopped underneath a large tree. While it was nowhere near as imposing as the one that led up to the Practice Ground, it stood proudly and alone in an open plain.

“Amazing,” Addam said, looking up. “I thought it looked impressive from the oasis but it manages to be even more expansive up close.” 

“Like my father. Big, strong, expansive. It’s soothing, in a way,” Lyta said, smiling. “I’d like to be like that one day. So I’ll stop disappointing the people important to me.”

"Huh. He sounds like an amazing person," Lora remarked, amazed the length of the branches. 

“... We’re calling this the Waytree,” Kaeda declared, crossing her arms. 

“Aha! My dad’s name is Wayton!” Lyta beamed. “I see what you did there. You’re so good at naming things, Kaeda! It must be your special ability.”

“Of course. I have to make sure green travelers like you don’t get lost because you can’t remember a location,” the blade said, her lips twitching.

“The Waytree,” Lora repeated to herself, her eyes twinkling. “I like it.”

“Yes. It’s very fitting,” Jin remarked, gazing out towards the direction of Torigoth.

“I have one tiny, last request. Do you think you could follow us up those tree roots?” Lyta asked, gesturing towards the big tree that they had just come from. Addam held in a sigh, not liking the angle of the climb. The joints in his knees were already aching at just the thought of approaching the roots.

"I don't see why not," Lora said. "Are you okay with going Addam?"

"Sure," Addam replied, his eyes downturned. "Why not?"

Mythra glanced curiously at her driver, feeling a small jolt of dread surround their ether bond. The group started moving before she could press the issue, however. They backtracked somewhat before walking to the northeast towards the wider of the twin tree branches. The root was indeed steeper than anything that they had encountered thus far. By the time they reached the top, they found Lyta cheering over the corpse of a dead monster.

“Whoa! Did you see that? I totally whooped that monster’s butt!”

“Look at you, getting a big head over defeating one monster,” Kaeda murmured, no real heat behind her words. The driver giggled, giving her blade a playful shove. Haze glanced at the distant arbor in awe.

“Look! Lancham Cove seems a world away from here,”

“Yeah. We’ve come quite a ways. As have you, Lyta,” Addam said, puffing out his chest slightly. “You should feel proud of yourself.”

“Awe! Thank you Mister Addam!”

“Finally. All of this over simple exploration,” Mythra murmured, kicking the ground. 

“Have patience, Mythra. She will make a fine driver someday. Everyone has to start somewhere,” Jin replied, a look of contemplation on his face. 

“Oh wow. She really will be a good driver if she managed to get a compliment out of Jin,” Haze giggled. Mythra huffed, arms crossing in front of her. 

“Everyone. Thank you so much!” Lyta said, jumping up in joy, much to the chagrin of Kaeda. “Once we’re done here, we’ll find some new places to explore!”

“Which means we might run into each other once more. I look forward to the day that happens,” Addam said, the setting sun framing his face perfectly.

“Of course!” With that, the two groups of travelers bid each other farewell. Addam led the group down the way they came and onto the main path, avoiding the prowling monsters. It was getting late and they didn't need to find themselves lost at night in an unfamiliar land. 

“I think we should set up camp soon. I don’t want to enter Torigoth while it's dark,” He said. Lora nodded in agreement. 

“I saw a campsite not too far ahead near the Waytree,” Jin mentioned, motioning towards the northwest. 

“Let’s head there, then,” Haze said. The prince bit the insides of his mouth. The pain in his knees was starting to go from being a mere annoyance to actually being a problem. He pushed through the pain, focusing on the sight ahead. He breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the top of the hill, the campsite only a few paces away. 

“Gormott is a really beautiful place to behold. But that beauty is fraught with danger,” Jin murmured as they approached the campsite. Lora punched his shoulder lightly. 

“I’m sure that between you and Haze that I will be kept safe,” She said, grinning up at him. Addam watched the duo curiously, nostalgia pooling in his gut.

“What’s that all about?” the Aegis asked, glancing blankly at her driver.

“What are you talking about, Mythra?” He asked. 

“Our bond. What was that feeling?” She explained.

“Ah. It’s nothing. I was just… reminded of something, that’s all,” He replied, taking a seat. The sound of a crackling fire and the sight of the sun falling behind the horizon allowed the two to drift into their own worlds, unaware of the horror that would await them the next day. 

_═════════•°• Companions Cape, Bionis Shoulder •°•═════════_

"Stupid half breed," the guard chuckled, grabbing the beaten boy by his shirt. A knife hovered by his throat, the tip pushed dangerously close to his carotid artery. He cried out, grabbing at the man's hand in an effort to dislodge himself. The guard was too strong for his thirty year old body to overpower. A manic grin spread upon his aggressors face. "Do us a favor and never set foot in the capital again. The royal guard doesn't need dirty little half bloods running around like you own the place,"

He yelped as he was thrown off of the transporter deck, careening towards the sea below. Tears built in his eyes as he watched the water steadily creep closer and closer. With the wind roaring in his ears, he shut them tightly, bracing for impact. He screamed as his body slammed into what felt like solid steel, some of his ribs snapping like twigs. The wounds adorning his headwings burned at the touch of the icy salt water. He blindly swam towards Faras Cave, pain radiating from his core with every stroke. Once he got to shore, he crawled forward and vomited, the pain overwhelming his senses. 

More tears blurred his vision, spilling down his cheeks as he tried to stand up. His shaky muscles and the pain were too much for his frail body to handle. He fell back down to his knees with a sharp cry, grasping the ground, gasping for breath. He tried to slow down his breathing, trying to calm his racing heart. He lightly ran his fingers over the wounds to try and distract himself from the pain in his chest. Red, damaged feathers stuck to his fingers. He screeched and thrust his hands in the water, bile rising in his mouth at the sight of his own blood washing away. He grabbed one of his headwings, looking at the extent of his injuries. 

A gruesome sight was his only greeting: most of the tendons, thin muscles and blood vessels in his wings had exposed to the open air by the guard's knife. Some of the tissue was completely torn apart, almost unrecognizable. The fragile bones had broken completely in some places and partially in others, creating a mess of . His entire body seized with fright, dread rising at the back of his throat, before he turned towards the sea and hurled what was left in his stomach. His mouth burned with shame and anger. He clutched the wet sand beneath his hands, his head throbbing. If only he were strong enough...

Gael'gar shot up in fright, his heart racing. Sweat rolled down his back uncomfortably. He looked around and took in the familiar surroundings of Companion's Cape before breathing a sigh of relief.

"Just a dream. Just a dream," he murmured to himself, lying back down. He hesitantly touched his wings, a look of relief spreading across his face when he felt the rough smoothness of the skin and feathers. He let the sounds of nature and the sight of the stars calm his frantic heart. Before he could drift off again, he noticed a stray Telethia flying across the sky. He smirked, chuckling to himself.

"Who's laughing now?"

_═════════•°• Militia Camp, Aletta Region, Torna •°•═════════_

"Erm…" Noowl commented, trying to catch the attention of Kaleena. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, a little taken aback.

"Do you need something?" She asked. Noowl gestured at the trio standing in the corner near the tall tower, failing at seeming inconspicuous. All three were wrapped in black, long cloaks with hoods that partially obscured their faces. The figure in the middle was leaning against the tower, wearing an eye patch over his right eye. There was a smaller figure on the left, a hint of a tail hanging below the drapes of the cape. The figure on the right was the tallest and obviously a blade given the almost comical length of the protrusion on its back. 

"Who are they? I've never seen them before," Noowl asked, slightly nervous. The militia barely got new members nowadays since Malos hadn't struck a major target in several months. While he didn't want to complain about more help, the trio's behavior was just downright off. 

"Oh. Them. We found them stuck in a tree near Ossum Magnum, unconscious. The driver was sick as a dog and delirious to boot," She said. "Mr. Mungo used almost all of our panacellin to stabilize him. He's doing much better but you can tell he's still feeling a little under the weather."

"Driver?" He asked. Kaleena nodded.

"Yeah. He has two rare blades with him, although I seem to remember seeing three blades at one point," she explained. "The shorter one is especially attached to him. Never left his side after he woke up. It's a little annoying, to be honest. We tried to strip him to see if he had injuries but the blade absolutely refused to let us remove anything except his boots."

"Oh? Do we have a jealous lover?" He asked, smirking. "Did she refuse even when you asked a male healer to look him over?"

"Yes! We even offered to bring him to a secluded tent and to leave his shirt and briefs on but she still refused!" She exclaimed. "She didn’t answer why when we asked."

"Ah. And Mungo and his apprentices didn't try to force them apart?" He asked. She glared at the ground murderously.

"They tried but apparently both of the blades stepped between them and him. None of us around here are particularly skilled at subduing blades without Addam so we left them be," Kaleena seethed. "We rescued them, gave them almost all of our medicine and they have the audacity to treat us like this? We should have just kicked them out after that..."

"Do they have names? Or did they refuse that as well?" Noowl asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

"I think Mr. Mungo would have actually tried to murder them if they refused to identify themselves. The driver's name is Zeke. He has this weird accent that sounds vaguely Tornan but I’m not exactly certain. The female blade is Pandoria and the male blade is Godfrey," She said. “They’re insane, I tell you. Insane. Ever since they've been up and about, his blades refuse to leave his side. And they stretch together. In sync.”

"Huh. That’s very… interesting." He commented, a headache starting to form. He noted that the cloud sea was unusually quiet given the storm that had just passed.

"That’s one way to put it,” she murmured, crossing her arms in front of her body. “At least they’ve offered to pitch in when we need odd jobs done. You know, to pay us back while they recover. They actually just restocked all of our wild game. The ice blade even froze it solid after preparing it for us.”

“All of it...? I know for a fact that we were low on pretty much everything: Armu, Moramora, Tirkin. That’s a lot of enemies,” Noowl said, his brow furrowing. "Not to mention that the driver is still recovering. How is that possible?"

“I don't know but it was unreal, let me tell you. I actually went with them to see what they were like. And to, you know, make sure Zeke wouldn’t immediately keel over in exhaustion. But, oh my Architect. They sliced through the enemies with ease. I’ve never seen a driver-blade pair that has that much experience with each other. Ever,” She said, grinning widely. 

“Better than even Addam and Mythra?”

“So much better than Addam and Mythra. Err… Don’t tell them I said that,”

“Speaking of Addam, when will he get back from Gormott? 

“It will be a while. They should have gotten to the titan by now. Assuming it takes a week for him to finish whatever business he has in Gormott, it will be close to a week and a half travel back here,” She explained. “The titans were predicted to be the furthest apart from each other about three days ago.”

While the pair chatted away about the estimated arrival of their idol, they failed to notice that the target of their previous conversion had moved behind a support pillar within earshot of them. Zeke hummed softly, thinking. He extended his hand and threw up a sign. The figure standing on top of the homestead disappeared in a flash of red, moving in the direction of the capital. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 14/77 Green Barrels smashed. 
> 
> Armus, Moramoras, and Tirkin: *Are like Level 20-35*
> 
> Zeke, Pandoria, and Godfrey: *Laughs in Level 75*
> 
> A note about Rare blades: from a plot standpoint, it's really odd for one group of 4 drivers (Tora doesn't count because he can't actually resonate) to have all of the rare type blades in the world. So not every rare blade will be appearing here. I'm sorry if your favorite doesn't make the cut!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop a comment down below with constructive criticism or just reactions in general. I try to respond to everyone at least once but I don't always (mostly since I don't always know how to reply to the comment. Or I won't reply if I feel that there is no way to avoid spoiling something.) But all comments are very much appreciated and do help me stay motivated.
> 
> PS: You guys will get some brownie points if you can guess which songs the melody that Leo and Azzarn are playing comes from ;)


	3. "Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ontos begins his journey to ensure his “carefully” laid plans succeed, Dunbon and Rain search for some missing Nopon, and the special inquisitor realizes that the years of training she has culminated can’t do anything for her underprepared immune system.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… this fic is officially so long that it crashes my writing app half of the time. And I’m nowhere near the halfway point. (I’m keeping all the chapters in one giant document. As of now, it’s at 29938 words.)
> 
> Title for this chapter comes from my girl Helen Keller!
> 
> I’ve gone ahead and updated the AN’s for the previous to include some tracks from the OST for all the games. I don’t usually listen to music while writing but I do envision music when I imagine the scenes and stuff (Wow. I wonder why? Lol) 
> 
> My jams for this chapter, in order: Running (XC2), Bionis Shoulder (Day) (XC1), FogBeast Battle (XC1), Face (XC1), Disquiet (XC1), and the first half of Sea of Clouds (XC2) (before it gets angsty).

_═════════•°• Bionis Shoulder •°•═════════_

The fog was unusually thick, an oppressive presence that stuck to every surface. Even within the protective walls of Junks, the frigid, biting wind still managed to seep into the air, chilling Shulk to the bone. He couldn’t see even a couple of meters in front of him without the aid of the external sensors. Hoping he was at least going in the right direction, he steered the ship forward towards their target. After what seemed like hours, they broke through the clouds. An expanse of green land opened up before him, briefly reminding him of Gaur Plains. Even further beyond that was the Imperial Capital of Alcamoth, hanging obtrusively in the sky. 

“There it is!” he exclaimed. “Melia, I can see Alcamoth just up ahead!”

The princess gasped and looked up. She couldn’t deny the excitement that was building in her stomach. It was finally time.

“I’ll be right there,” She called, almost running down the stairs. Shulk smiled softly, unable to contain his excitement, either.

“Shulk, what’s that?” Alvis asked, squinting. Shulk made a noise of questioning before noticing that there was a ball of orange energy sitting just outside the structure. It started to glow and pulse, almost like it was charging up. Before Shulk could make a move, it shot a blast towards their vessel, tearing through the right wing of the ship. Shulk stumbled, reaching out for the nearest object to steady himself with. 

“Melia, are you okay?” he called out, wincing as he felt Junks start careening towards the ground. He closed his eyes, trying to push down the bile churning in his throat as adrenaline roared in his ears.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she called back, slightly distressed. “How about you?”

“I’m-”

“Shulk, brace!” Alvis warned from somewhere behind him. Shulk groaned as he was suddenly lurched forward as they hit some sort of body of water. He heard Melia scramble for leverage somewhere in the other room. They slowly grinded to a halt, the jerky movements making his stomach churn with nausea. Taking a couple of deep, grounding breaths, he opened his eyes. He tentatively stepped downward towards the medical wing, holding onto the wall to keep his balance. Now that his ears weren’t ringing, he could hear the distinct sound of a waterfall behind him. He took another step forward only to lose his balance, tripping. He braced himself but was caught by the back of his shirt.

“Careful now Shulk,” Alvis said. He could almost hear the slight smile in the seer’s voice. Shulk laughed sheepishly.

“Thanks, Alvis,” 

“Shulk!” Melia called. He glanced down through the open doors to see her in the water. “We can get out through here!”

“Okay!” He replied, glancing up at Alvis. The seer nodded and tossed him past the railing, straight into the water below.

“Shulk…!” Melia warned, shielding her wings from the splashes.

“Sorry Melia.” 

“I suggest you two make a move towards the exit lest you want to be splashed again,” Alvis said, smirking. Shulk chuckled as they swam towards the exit. 

A fine mist obscured some of their view as they stepped out. The two took deep breaths, the adrenaline starting to wear off. The sounds of nature drew their attention to the scenery outside. Rolling expanses of green filled the area before them. Nebulas floated freely in the air as Flamii, Upas, and Brogs gathered around the streams leading away from the basin. Shulk glanced back when he heard a splash behind them, watching as Alvis resurfaced and grinned at him. They all stumbled forwards when the ship started to sink into the water on one side. Alvis swam quickly to the entrance, climbing out just as it settled in the lake bed.

A loud roar from above drew everyone’s attention. Shulk placed his hand on the Monado when a huge Drakos Telethia soared around Junks, the sunlight gleaming off the green of the beast’s body. It circled the fallen ship before flying into the distance towards Alcamoth. Shulk gasped as he noticed that there were several Telethia circling the capital. 

“Whoa. I don’t think I have ever seen this many Telethia in one place,” He commented, bewildered. 

“Quite. What in the world was that?” Melia murmured.

“I’m not sure. I saw a flickering orange light near the capital before a black beam shot at us. Do you have any idea Alvis?”

“Not at all.”

“A black beam… I don’t ever remember Alcamoth having such a defense mechanism.” She murmured. “What of Junks? Is it still operational?”

“Not at the moment. Some of the critical components sustained heavy damage. We will have to replace them.” Alvis explained. Melia hummed, closing her eyes.

“Relax! They’re not rare parts! I’m sure that we’ll find them in Alcamoth,” Shulk explained. Melia sighed. 

“You both make it sound so simple. There is much we still do not know,”

“It’s a good thing that we came prepared, then,” Alvis said, gesturing towards the Replica Monado strapped to Shulk’s back. Melia smiled warmly, the memories of watching Shulk complete the weapon coming back to her.

“Sisterpon! Enemy coming on right!” A voice called. She gasped, facing the direction of the voice. 

“I take care of it. Kino look out on left!”

“Gotcha!” 

“Those voices…” Shulk murmured, his eyes narrowing. There were two Nopon surrounded by a group of Volff. His eyes widened in recognition. “Those are some of Riki’s children. Kino and Nene!”

“What are they doing here?” Melia asked, readying her staff.

“We must help them!” Alvis said, running towards the Nopon. Melia and Shulk shared a look before rushing off the side of the deck, taking a flying leap into the water. They started swimming with gusto towards the battle ahead of them. Shulk saw Kino aim and fire, hitting the closest Volff square in the face. It howled and fell, fading into ether.

“Who next to get a face full of Mild Down?”

“Anyone who breathe wrong will get face full of blamo--blam” Kino said. The remaining Volff hunched down, starting to circle their prey. Alvis rushed in front of the Nopon, Shulk and Melia right behind him.

“Kino, Nene. Are you hurt?” She asked, summoning earth and electric elementals. 

“Miss Melia! Mister Shulk! Mister Stranger! Help very welcome! More is always merrier,”

Alvis hummed. On a second look, these Volff’s appeared odd. Their bodies were emanating this pulsing, ominous ether signature. He had never felt anything like it. Their pupils were so dilated that the color of their eyes weren’t visible. It.. was otherworldly. Almost like they were being controlled by something. Or perhaps corrupted. Was this a result of the universes combining? He doubted Klaus, in any form, would have come up with any creature with such abilities. But he has been surprised before. 

Melia discharged the electric element, taking out the Volff on the right. The other two howled in anger, charging towards the princess. Shulk took advantage of their distraction and circled behind the one in the middle. Before they could reach Melia, Nene jumped in the way, weapon poised to strike. She parried an attack from one of the volffs, preparing to bash it over the head. Shulk struck first, however, slicing its lower abdomen in half. It howled in pain, dissipating into ether. As they all circled and prepared to finish off the remaining volff, Alvis noticed that another Volff was stalking towards them slowly, sticking to the shadows. 

“The pack leader…’ He muttered to himself, heading in the direction of the leader. It noticed him approaching immediately, lifeless eyes boring into his own. He readied his sword, preparing to strike. When the animal leapt at him, he swept up from the side, slashing it across the face. Blood sprayed from the wound as the Volff stumbled back, ready to attack again, unfazed. Alvis wasted no time, charging forward and thrusting his sword through the beast’s skull, twisting out of the way of stray brain matter. The body convulsed violently before dissolving into a black mist. Dusting himself off, Alvis traveled back to the group. 

“Big Sis! We did it!”

“Job is good one, Kino”

“That was amazing. Sharla and Reyn have taught you well,” Shulk praised, rubbing the back of his head. 

“Mhmm. fitting for the children of Heropon Riki. I assume that there are no injuries, Kino?” Melia asked. Kino whimpered before retreating behind Nene’s back.

“Nene very sorry. Kino not good with strangers,”

“Meh Meh...”

“Please do not take personally,” 

“That’s quite alright. Just what were those things? I’ve never seen anything like it,” Shulk asked. 

“Neither have I. However, I think it would be best if we have this conversion elsewhere. There is the possibility of another attack should we remain,” Alvis interjected, glancing around. He did not sense any more animals with the weird energy signature but it was always better to be safe than sorry.

“I believe you are right,” Melia said with a small frown. “Is this acceptable, Nene and Kino?’

“Much acceptable,” Nene replied, smiling. The group traveled up the hill towards a small tree overlooking a view of Junks and the area they just traveled from. They sat down in a circle, the branches shielding them from the sun’s rays.

“So tell me. How did you even get here?”

“If I am not mistaken, they must have boarded the ship without any of us noticing,” Alvis mentioned. Melia narrowed her eyes, Kino retreating behind Nene.

“Kino follow Mister Shulk from behind and do some sneaky sneak,” Nene explained.

“Ah. I thought I noticed an odd object behind some of the crates,” Shulk chuckled, gesturing towards Kino’s ether rifle. “Why’d you stowaway? Why did you follow us here?”

“Kino look up to Dadapon. Want to be mighty Heropon like him,” Nene explained. “Nene had to make sure Kino would stay safe so Nene follow brotherpon.”

“How did that lead to you boarding our vessel?” Melia asked. 

“He see opportunity to help people. That why he become healer like Miss Sharla, actually.”

“Sorries… Kino want to repay debt to Dadapon and Mamapon,” Kino admitted, peeking around his sister’s body. “One day, Dadapon and Mamapon take Kino in without questions. Dadapon introduce Kino as new littlepon. No one comment. They just accept Kino as brotherpon. Mamapon already struggle much with other littlepons but still took Kino under wing.”

"Aww. You sweet thing," Melia murmured.

“No blame sisterpon. It fault of Kino,” He exclaimed, hunching over in an approximation of a bow. 

“No need to apologize, Kino. Unfortunately, we are trapped here until we can repair the ship. Would you both mind accompanying us to the capital?” Alvis asked, leaning against the tree.

“Nene like sound of that plan!” Nene exclaimed, twirling around in a way that reminded Shulk of Riki. “Does Mister Stranger have name?”

“My name is Alvis. It is my honor to meet the brave children of the Heropon,” Alvis replied, giving a graceful bow.

“The pleasure is all Nene’s!” She exclaimed. “What we do now?”

“I’d like to travel to that cape over there. There might be something worth checking out,” Shulk said, gesturing towards the tower-like structure in the distance. 

“Companions Cape…” Alvis murmured under his breath. Shulk shot him a questioning look. "This place hasn't changed much,"

"What do you mean?" Shulk asked.

"The Bionis Shoulder, during the time of the Giants, linked Makna Forest and Eryth Sea together," he explained, glancing around the area.

"Really?" Shulk said, amazed. "How did the link between the two become Frontier Village then?"

"That link always existed. However, the Shoulder provided direct access to the Alcamoth transporter. Not to mention the enemies you encountered at Lateal Shore were not the same enemies that once inhabited the area."

“Indeed,” Melia interjected. “Eryth Sea has always been home to the Kromar, Hodes, and Ekidnos. They once inhabited every single stretch of land available, coexisting in relative but tense peace. It is only recently that they have been confined to the Kromar Coast and the Hode Refuge.”

“Fascinating,” Shulk murmured under his breath, his eyes sparkling. 

“Ah yes. His Highness Prince Kallian was in charge of managing the populations, especially since they posed a threat to most anyone, even the Imperial Guard,” Alvis explained. Shulk raised a brow when Melia murmured something in High Entian. He opened his mouth to ask what she said but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. 

“Don’t ask. You don't want to know,” Alvis said, an odd tinge to his voice. Shulk opened his mouth to press the issue only for it to dissolve into a frown. He had a sinking feeling that he wouldn’t get an answer out of either of them, no matter how much he pressed. 

“Look!” Nene exclaimed, gesturing wildly. “Miss Melly, come look here! Pretty flowers!” 

Melia glanced back at Alvis, giving him a scrutinizing look, before following the pink Nopon. Shulk’s frown deepened. "What's going on between you and Melia? I had noticed it back in the colony before but thought it was just stress from all the rebuilding. Did you do something?”

Alvis made a noise of contemplation, thinking about how to answer the question. “I do believe she is unhappy that I stood back and let the events of the present play out.” 

“Oh… You mean what happened to the High Entia?”

“Yes, but I believe the motivation is a little more personal than that,” Alvis explained. “She believes that I had the power to stop Zanza anytime I wanted, which would have then prevented the deaths of her people and her family.”

“And you couldn’t?” Shulk asked. 

“I had no power to override Zanza’s will. The most I could do was search for someone that would remove Zanza from the equation,” Alvis explained. In reality, it was much more complicated. But Shulk didn’t need to know that. Not yet, and preferably, not ever. He had made the poor boy (and his friends) suffer enough for his inadequacies.

“I see…” Shulk said, squinting. “Well, we should consider setting up camp. It’s too late in the day to be setting out. I don’t want to be caught in unfamiliar territory.”

“Kino a-a-agree. Will catch fish for food,” the nopon said before scampering off towards the stream. 

“Will he be okay, going off alone?” Shulk asked, concerned.

“Yes. And we’re right here to step in if we need to,”

Melia and Nene didn’t return until almost sundown, talking quietly about flowers. Alvis paid her no heed, focusing instead on Shulk’s expression as he animatedly messed with some spare parts. Some things never change. After grilling the fish, they ate in companionable silence, content to just sit under the stars after what had happened earlier. Well... Everyone except himself, that is. 

“Who’s going to take first watch?”

“No need to set up shifts. I do not need sleep,” Alvis said. Melia narrowed her eyes.

“Really now?” She questioned.

“Really. Please get some rest, your highness.”

The Empress stared at him blankly before setting up for the night. There weren’t enough sleeping bags for everyone to sleep separately which meant Melia, Nene, and Kino shared one bag while Shulk got one of his own. It wasn’t the most comfortable of arrangements but they weren’t exactly planning on staying overnight.

Once he was sure that the party was asleep, Alvis wandered out towards the area they had found earlier. He knelt down, drawing the ether out of the surrounding area. Most all of it turned into water but there was enough residual body matter from the beasts to give him what he was looking for. He swirled the stuff around in his hand, trying to place where he had felt such a presence. Unlike before, it didn’t seem inherently malicious, just highly concentrated. There weren’t any beings capable of wielding such power in this universe, aside from himself. Perhaps it was something unique to the other one? A new, unheard of creature that migrated here by chance? Or maybe it was something from his brief time in the processor? There were the early prototypes to the blade system; but those had all been humanoid last time he checked, not in the form of an animal. And then there was the matter of the beasts themselves. Aside from the odd ether signature, they appeared just like regular Volffs. What, or who, could have given them such power? 

A sudden rustle of grass drew his attention behind him. Alvis glanced over his shoulder, seeing nothing but an open plain. Humming, he stood up and wandered back to camp, eerily aware that they were being watched. He slid down against the tree, keeping a watchful eye over the party and on the lookout for whatever it was that tried to approach him.

At the crack of dawn, the group set out. Kino and Nene were several paces, eager to see what sights the Shoulder had to offer. Melia trailed just behind them, staff at the ready in case any more monsters decided to show up. Shulk and Alvis brought up the rear, a peaceful silence between them. 

So far, the area struck Shulk as a mix of the area just outside of the former Colony Six and Bionis Leg. There were set pathways out in front of them that branched out like someone had knit them together. On the right, he could see more branches, one of which led up a hill and curved around to what had to be a cave entrance. The itch to explore was unnerving but the enemies here already were giving them somewhat of a challenge. It had been over a year since the old world was replaced by this one. While he didn't exactly slack off in that time, he definitely spent more than his fair share of late nights in the lab. He wasn't exactly as muscular as he once was.

Before long, they were approaching the small settlement at the Cape. It appeared to be in great shape given how long ago the Giants had roamed the world. He watched curiously as several High Entia, dressed in military regalia, struck at some training dummies. Others merely wandered around, pushing debris out of the way. 

“Many Many bird people here,” Nene said. Alvis hummed in agreement.

“It looks like they’re trying to turn this into a small little village. Kind of like what’s going on in Colony 9 right now,” Shulk mused.

“Are there really only High Entia living here?” Melia questioned. “You would think…”

“Ho there, strangers,” A voice said, approaching cautiously. Shulk turned towards him, tilting his head to the side. He was an older fellow, wearing the traditional military uniform of the Imperial Guard with headwings that stopped somewhere near the bottom of his ribcage. He was imposing, too. While not overly tall, he had the natural grace and presence of a leader.

“Ah, hello,” Shulk said. “And who would you be?”

“My name is Maxis, former Captain to the Imperial Guard. And who might you be?”

“I’m Shulk. This is Melia, Alvis, Kino, and Nene. We were trying to get to Alcamoth when we were shot down by some sort of black beam,” He explained. “We were wondering if you knew how we could get there?”

“I see... You’ve had a rough time of it, However, I suggest you steer clear of Alcamoth,” Maxis said. “Even if you do expect to get there in one piece, don’t expect the transporters to be running.”

“Oh? Why’s that?” Shulk asked, a little taken aback by the bluntness.

“That thing that shot at you… It was no defense platform. It was a creature that we’ve taken to calling the Fog King.”

“Fog King?” Alvis questioned.

“Yeah. Suddenly showed up in Alcamoth a few months back without warning. We were all caught unawares.”

“From what I gather, you’re all from the Imperial Guard. Are the swords you carry just for show?” Melia asked.

“Taking a sword to it is folly,” Maxis said. “It’s like hacking at smoke. Blows slash clean through it.”

“Must be ghost!” Kino said. Nene smacked him on the head.

“Ghost not shoot beams, dum dum,” She chastised. 

“So that’s why you call it the Fog King… I see…” Alvis said. Something was nagging him about that name but he couldn’t figure out what.

“We fought in defense of our home. We were ready to die, and many of us did. But in the end… It won us nothing at all. The Fog King’s attacks tore into us hard. Eventually, we gathered the High Entia and anyone else we found and gave up on the capital so that we might live,”

“How awful.” Melia murmured, inclining her head.

“My grieving heart belongs there. Our heartland, our capital… I cannot even mourn it,”

“Maxis…” Shulk trailed off, the words he needed to formulate his thoughts just out of reach.

“Huh…? Yes?”

“Please, you have to tell us how to get inside.”

“Shulk, be serious here!”

“Boy, are you head of hearing?” the High Entia scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. 

Shulk frowned. “I heard you,”

“Then you should know better,”

“No matter the situation, we have to go. If I can fix the Junks, then we can all leave this place. Then, once we’re in Colony 9, we can make plans to retake-”

“No point,” Maxis interrupted, raising a hand.

“Why not?”

“Shulk, do you think we took all of that lying down? We’re not stupid, you know. We did all we could.” Maxis said. “It’s true. I want to go home. But that’s a dream that won’t come to pass. And it already cost too many lives.”

“Maxis,” Melia said, her eyes shining with empathy. 

“I understand where you’re coming from. Still, I have to be blunt with you. Let it go.” Maxis said, shaking his head, before walking off. 

“Never…” Shulk muttered under his breath.

“I understand where he is coming from. However, I do not think all hope is lost.” Alvis remarked, locking eyes with a young man dressed in purple. “I do believe that we should head back the way we came. We should be able to find a way to the transporter from there.”

“And why would we do such a thing?” Melia asked, eye narrowing.

“Like I was telling Shulk yesterday, the path on the Shoulder used to have a direct path to the Alcamoth transporter,” Alvis said. “It’s linked to the bloodline of the Imperial family. We should have no trouble using it as long as we can access it. Remember: we have no way to leave here without repairing the Junks. Alternatively, we could wait for someone in the Colony to notice that we’ve been gone for longer than expected and hope they have the ability to send a search party.”

“Hmph. Very well then. Let’s head towards the transporter.” Melia said tersely. “Do you need anything from the shop here, Shulk?”

“Mister Shulk not here,” Kino said, pointing towards the lady beside the ether crystal deposit. Sure enough; he was happily chatting away with the High Entia before rushing past them into the main part of the square.

“Here we go again…” Melia murmured, sighing deeply, watching with resigned eyes as Shulk offered help to every poor soul that needed it.

_═════════•°• New Colony 9, Remains of the Bionis •°•═════════_

Dunban was hoping to enjoy his day off. He was retired, of course, but the colony was still being rebuilt and repurposed for the sudden influx of refugees and he was not one to turn a blind eye. Nor were any of his companions: Fiora was helping Sharla at the clinic, Reyn was back to his regular training with the defense force, Riki was spending time with his family in between juggling his duties as Heropon, and Shulk had left with Melia to find what remained of Alcamoth. The weather was nice, a perfect day to spend in Outlook Park or just at home with a book on the couch. Of course, you can’t always get what you wish.

“Friends of hubbypon. Oka need help. Situation has come up,” The Nopon stated, her wings flapping urgently. Dunban gazed down in alarm. 

“What’s gotten you so worked up?” He asked, already having a feeling as to where this was going. Oh well. The colony residents wouldn’t begrudge him too much if he took another day to rest, right?

“Nene and Kino go missing! Oka cannot find them anywhere!”

“Calm down, Oka. Let’s think about this logically. Have you checked the places that they frequently play at?”

“Yes! Kino like to climb trees in Outlook Park with Nene not far behind! Oka no find them there!”

Dunban hummed in concentration. “Have you checked the clinic? Kino is a healer, right?”

“Oka no check clinic yet. But Kino never work there at this hour!” Oka wailed, flailing wildly. “Hubbypon is checking the Junkyard now. Oka no know what to do.”

Dunban leaned down and patted her head. “Don’t worry Oka. We’ll find them before you know it,”

“Many thank yous, Herohom!” Oka cheered, the sound garbled. Dunban stood up, glancing around the commercial district. The square was lively at this time of day. the smell of the various restaurants wafting through the area, Nopon, Machina, High Entia, and Homs alike wandering about happily. Dunban narrowed his eyes, keeping an eye out for flashes of neon green or pink. 

“Dunban! Whatcha looking for?” Reyn called out, waving his hand back and forth as he approached them. 

“Nene and Kino are unaccounted for. If you have the time, would you help me search for them?”

“Of course. Anything for family of Heropon Riki!” Reyn said, rolling his shoulder around. “I can tell you that he wasn’t in the clinic.”

“Oh? And how would you know that?”

“I may have gotten a scrape or two while training. No biggie,” Reyn shrugged. Dunban raised a hand to his face and sighed. 

“No matter. Let’s split up so we can cover more ground. Reyn and I will cover the commercial district. Oka, why don’t you check the residential district?” Dunban asked. 

“Sounds good to me!” Reyn said.

“Oka will do Oka’s best! Many thanks Herohom and sidekick!” Oka said before rushing off in the direction of the Central Plaza.

“Oi??! I ain’t no sidekick!” Reyn bellowed after her, catching the attention of some amused passerby. Dunban chuckled, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Come on, now. We have some Nopon to find. I’ll start searching by Gem Man’s stall if you’ll look around here?”

“Aye Aye, _Herohom,”_ Reyn said, mimicking Oka’s voice while giving a mock salute. Dunban snorted and moved out of the way, heading towards the stall. There weren’t many places for Nopon to hide away in, especially given how restless Riki’s children were. Like Dadapon like Littlepon, he supposed. Almost all of the free space in the Colony was being used for storing supplies and other materials as the people of Bionis slowly rebuilt their lives. As a result, there was very little chance they were anywhere near the stall itself. Dunban traveled to the area where Sesame used to hang out at night, poking his head into the Nopon-sized crevasses in the machinery. There was nothing. He backtracked a little bit and checked on the balcony above. There was no sign of them there, either. His new vantage point didn’t even give him a hint of the vibrant color of their fur. He made his way back to the ether light, where he found Reyn pacing back and forth.

“Any luck?” Dunban asked. Reyn shook his head.

“No. I even checked in your house to see if they were playing hide n’ seek or something. They aren’t in this part of the colony,” He replied. “Maybe we should go and help Oka?”

“We might as well try. Let’s use the path to Outlook Park,” Reyn nodded. They exited the colony and headed down the dirt path, stopping to check the trees along the way. The search resulted in nothing, of course. 

“Damn. Where did they go?” Reyn said to himself as they entered the residential district. “Is it possible they went for a swim?”

“I doubt it. If I remember correctly, Kino doesn’t like swimming,” Dunban said, watching the trees and bushes. “And if they accidentally fell in, there are several docks around the colony that they could climb up onto."

“That’s true,” Reyn said. “Ugh, where are they, then? They’re just Nopon. They can’t be that hard to find, can they?”

“You’d be surprised,” Dunban replied. “Let’s see if we can find Oka.”

After a couple of minutes of searching, they found the worried Nopon standing on the bench underneath the tree in Tranquil Square. “Oka, were you able to find anything of use?”

“No,” The Nopon grumbled. “Oka look everywhere. They not here,”

“Maybe by the dock?” Reyn suggested.

“It’s worth a shot. Let’s go,” Dunban said. The three walked down the path to the Central Plaza. It normally was free of debris but it was currently filled with large storage crates containing building materials. Reyn noticed something gleaming out of the corner of his eye.

“Is that… an Ansel feather?” Reyn asked, kneeling down. “I’ve never seen one this color around here.”

“Hmm. That look like one from Makna Ansel,” Oka commented. “Kino had several decorating base of ether rifle.”

“But why would it be here? This aren’t any optimal playing spots, not with all of these boxes in the way,” 

“Well…. I think I have an idea,” Dunban said, gazing at where Junks used to be. Reyn glanced between Dunban and the dock before it dawned on him.

“You don’t think they…?”

“Yes. I do believe they are currently at the Bionis Shoulder.” Dunban said, taking a deep breath. “And here I thought I was going to enjoy a nice retirement.”

_═════════•°• ???? •°•═════════_

“Lady Mòrag, how are you feeling?” Brighid murmured, pressing a damp cloth to her face. Mòrag’s groans of discomfort were her only reply. Setting the cloth to the side, she decreased the intensity of her flames and climbed into bed beside her driver. Architect bless the servant that had the foresight to use fire-proof bedding. 

“I’m sorry. There’s not much I can do against a disease,” She murmured, brushing some stray hair out of her face. There wasn’t much she could do regarding this entire situation, in all honesty. The Empire never prepared her for the off chance she would be transported into the past. 

“Worry not, Brighid. My body will defeat this given time,” Mòrag reassured. “Thank you for being here for me. You too Aegaeon. You have made this entire ordeal much easier to bear.”

“Of course. Why would I not be?” the blade replied. Mòrag took a deep breath, coughing painfully, the sound rumbling deep in her chest cavity. A knock at the door caught their attention. 

“May I enter?” A voice called meekly from the other side.

“You may,” Aegaeon said, drumming his fingers against the table. He hadn’t been sitting for long and there were already small dents in the top.

“My sincerest apologies,” Haben remarked, bowing. “I am in the process of procuring some medicine for Ms. Ladair. It may take a while longer, however. The medicine I believe she needs is located in the Aletta Region of Torna on Prince Addam’s homestead. We will need his permission to set foot there.”

“Is there any way to send word to A- Prince Addam?” Brighid asked. The boy nodded.

“Of course, Ms. Brighid. Word has already been sent. I will let you know when we receive correspondence,” Haben said. “Is there anything I could do for you? I know the circumstances are less than ideal right now.”

“Could you fetch some water, please?” Brighid asked after a moment. He nodded and left the room. Aegaeon sighed.

“We’ve gotten ourselves in quite the conundrum, haven’t we?” 

“Indeed we have, Aegaeon. Indeed we have.” Brighid muttered under her breath, pulling her driver close. 

"I wonder how the others are doing right now," Mòrag mused. “I can’t imagine Zeke will be too unhappy with this predicament, given his… fascination with Addam.”

"Oh no. Zeke," Aegaeon stated, eye widening with horror. Brighid froze.

"Oh dear me," she said. "I hope he at least landed with the others. I'd hate to see what would happen if he tried to talk with the people here without someone there to act as a filter."

"Probably would get kicked in the balls by the first person he talked to…"

"Aegaeon! Who taught you such language?"

"I don't know. Who's my driver?"

"Ouch."

"I do believe you just got burned, Lady Mòrag."

“I didn’t ask for your snarky comments, Brighid.”

“I wonder who I learned that from…”

"This is going to be such a disaster…" Mòrag murmured to herself, shaking her head with a fond smile, her blade's snickering with amusement. If only she knew how true those words would ring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, we finally are done introducing our (mostly) complete cast for this story. Oh boy, juggling three sets of protagonists is no easy feat, let me tell you. But now that you know who they are, I can finally start adding the angst to this overly convoluted recipe of a story.
> 
> Someone actually hacked the files for Post-Game Colony 9, walked around in it, and uploaded the video to Youtube. Here's the link if you want it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3eG2hXfgR4
> 
> A note about ships: With a few exceptions, my ship tastes rarely align with what's most popular or what's canon. As such, I will do my best to limit the amount of shippy-ness that’s in the main story because, well, that’s not what this story is about. That being said… The very end of the last chapter(s) and the epilogues? After the main story nonsense is done? The only way you’re going to take those away is if you pry them from my cold, dead hands.
> 
> Soooooooo, on a less threatening note… My friends and I were playing that game where you type in a name and then use autocorrect to make a sentence. Being the nerd that I am, I crafted sentences for Pnuema, Logos, and Ontos. Here is what my phone generated:
> 
> Logos stared at me and I was wondering if you were still interested in the position and would like to know if you want to go to the student :) 
> 
> Pnuema turned on the TV and the other is a good time
> 
> And, my personal favorite:
> 
> Ontos yeeted into the office


	4. "Without forgiveness, there is no future"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two converging paths ever so slowly creep closer to one another 
> 
> OR
> 
> Mythra’s feelings regarding her time in Torna finally come out, Minoth notices something strange in the desert, and Logos decides to take a dive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there’s a little discrepancy in the Wiki about where you can get the Legendary Inferno Sword. One part of it says Sequestering Ludd and the other says Ionospheric Mitchell. It’s probably Ludd but I’m going to go ahead and just say Mitchell drops it to make my life easier.
> 
> *Swivels around on swivel chair and lays elbows on table, head resting in hands, staring blankly at the camera* Guess which dumbass forgot to post Ontos’ art palette? Come on. Guess? It’s not hard, I promise. Yeah. It was me. I forgot. I’m that dumbass. It will be posted at the end of this chapter. I’m sorry. Please forgive me :( :( :( :(
> 
> Title of this chapter comes from Desmond Tutu.
> 
> Ma Jams: Kingdom of Torna (Day) (XC2), Elysium in the Dream (XC2), Misgivings (XC2) and The Past Revealed (XC2)

_═════════•°•Dannagh Region, Torna, Alrest •°•═════════_

“Sorry Mitchell. I just need one of the weapons you’re carrying,” Pyra soothed, pulling on one of the swords that was sticking out of its back. The fire type ether within it burst to life under her grip, searing the sensitive skin of the creature. It bellowed in pain, thrashing widely, trying to throw her off. Taking advantage of the beast’ excessive movement, she eased the sword out. Mitchell made a wild swing to the left, knocking her off. Pain erupted in her tailbone as she hit the ground at an odd angle. The creature flew off quickly, not wanting to stick around. Gratefulness bloomed within her chest. She didn’t want to harm or kill the creature if she didn’t have to. 

Standing up, she strapped the sword to her back and made the long trek back to their camp. They had decided not to hide in the caves, in the end. It would have been too risky and would have drawn too much attention to them if they were spotted frequently entering or exiting the area; Torna was small but not that small. They had instead chosen to stay at the Turqos Plateau. For one, it gave them fresh water and access to food. Their rations ran dangerously low after the last few stretches of the World Tree and there was no telling when or if they would have another reliable source of food going forward. Secondly, it gave them a great vantage point over the area. Having a bird's eye perspective of the area to see the comings and goings of others would be handy when they were trying to avoid detection. And thirdly, it was a hidden gem in the desert that was known by few. Those who did know of it were rarely capable of making the long journey to it. 

And.. Well… There was always the view. The Alrest they came from didn’t have a desert as expansive as Torna’s. There, of course, was Mor Ardain but it wasn’t naturally occurring; the mass industrialization of the nation in addition to the waning life force of the titan drained it of the ether it needed to regulate its climate. The Dannagh Desert, on the other hand, was bursting with life from Krustnips to Antols to Tikilos and more. While some parts of it were filled with sand (the pearly white stuff you would find in beaches, not the dreary dry stuff that felt gross when you touched it), the majority was covered in lush, green grass and pristine, fresh water.

“Did you find everything you need, Pyra?” Nia asked when she approached, yawning. 

“Yes. I have something for both you and Rex, actually.” She said, handing Nia the Inferno Sword. The flesh eater took the weapon, inspecting it.

“Where did you get this?” She asked, startling when the metal flared to life. “Wait, is this made with ether-infused ore?”

Mythra appeared in a flash. “Yes. Torna was one of the only places that could get the ore in its most pure form. It’s actually quite common, all things considered.”

“Is this for me? I already have a weapon, you know.”

“No. You have your blade’s weapon. As a Driver, at least. Torna’s battle system works a little differently than ours. Drivers and Blades work as separate units in a team,” Mythra explained, a fond smile on her face. “It’s a cultural thing. Torna viewed blades and their drivers as equals in battle and in life, both fighting side by side towards the same goal.”

“So, what? Do you really expect us to master a fighting style in just a couple of months?”

“No, I don’t. But if we’re going to blend in once we start searching for the others, then we need to look the part. It would be odd to see a group of travelers without weapons, even if they have blades,” Mythra said, a shadow flying overhead. She locked eyes with the creature, glaring. “It should work more or less like your scimitar, if push comes to shove.”

“Makes sense,” Rex commented, slightly withdrawn. He was just so _tired_. “I assume the weapons you nabbed off those monsters earlier were for us?”

Picking up the sword, she swung it around lazily, snorting when the creature flew off. Coward. “Yes. They’re actually both for you. This one is an Umbra Greatsword and the other is a Torrent Greatsword. They have Dark Infused and Water infused ore, respectively.” 

“I see. Those types compliment yours and Pyras.”

“Exactly. Although you won’t be getting much out of the Umbra one. I don’t plan on showing my face a lot. I’m easily recognizable as Addam’s blade.” Mythra said. 

“What about me? I’m his blade too, you know,” Nia asked, offended. Mythra chuckled.

“I didn’t forget about you. It’s best that you don’t reveal yourself as a flesh eater. They aren’t… common, around here.”

“We weren’t bloody common in the future, either!”

“What I meant to say was that most people don't know what they are. The last thing we need...”

Rex tuned out their bickering, unable to concentrate for any longer. He laid back on the ground, letting the sun’s rays waft over his skin. The warmth contrasted nicely against his feverishly cold body. Being sick _sucked_ . He was exhausted, both in body and soul. His throat was scratchy, his limbs felt like they were made out of solid steel, and his muscles ached with a lack of use. They were jumping straight into yet another unknown, this time with less than half of their usual party. They had concocted a plan for finding the others but there was no guarantee it would work. Hell, there was no guarantee their friends were _on_ Torna. They could be in Gormott or Mor Ardain or Uraya or Indol or some other unknown titan for all they knew. Maybe even in the Land of Morytha or the World Tree. He was powerless and he _hated_ it. In spite of his racing thoughts, he felt himself start to drift off. Before he could completely fall asleep, he heard the familiar, sharp rustling of feathers right by his ear. Rex immediately shot up, ignoring his disorientation as Roc descended down on the ground next to them. 

“Roc…!” He said, eyes watering as he blindly tackled his blade into a hug. “I’ve missed you! Where have you been?”

“I missed you too, Rex,” the bird said fondly, stretching his wings out. “I have something for you.”

“Huh? What’s this?” He asked, grabbing the strange package. 

“That’s panacellin. You’re a genius, Roc!” Mythra exclaimed, grasping at the medicine from her driver's grip, much to his chagrin. “This will help Rex’s immune system fight off the bug! What’s left of it, anyway.”

“I’m no genius. Zeke is.” Roc said, sitting down on the ground next to his driver. He wrapped a wing comfortingly around the boy. “He was the one who retrieved it for me.”

“Zeke...? You know where Zeke is?!”

“Yes. He joined Addam’s militia. It’s how he got access to it,” Roc explained. “It’s found at the Tirkin Cliff Colony. Not the easiest thing to get to if you’re not experienced but it was no trouble for them.”

“What is that fool thinking?! Walk right into the front lines, why don’t ya? Is he trying to get us discovered?” Nia uttered, aghast. 

“On the contrary, I think it’s a great plan,” Roc replied. “It will allow us to keep an eye on Addam’s movements. He’s assuming that you will not be happy with standing by and letting history take its course, correct?”

“That’s right. I will not allow Torna to fall again,” Mythra vowed. “I’m actually going to have to agree with Zeke, for once. Things have already changed. We need to keep an eye on Addam directly to make sure we don’t get caught off guard by something.”

“He intends to stay with the Militia and keep watch over everyone there. He sent me to ask you about your plans and how you intended to find the others.” Roc said. 

“We don’t really have a plan. The only thing we could agree on was trying to find everyone,” Pyra said sheepishly, giving an awkward smile. “What would you guys think of joining the militia? We would have steady access to supplies there. No need to rough it out if we don't have to.”

“That's a bit risky. Everyone has already caught on to Zeke’s prowess. It would be highly suspicious if two more drivers came with abilities on the same caliber as them,” Roc said. "If you're willing to risk it, then I'm fine with it. But Zeke has already had several close calls with curious onlookers and he knows how keep his head down."

“We don’t have to fight. Not everyone that has blades is trained to fight,” Pyra said, stretching. “It would be easy to get away with regular manual labor or other needs, like cooking.”

“That’s true. But we do have quite a few of them. Even without Adenine, I have Dromarch and Crossette. Rex has you and Roc,” Nia mentioned, sighing. “Ugh. Why does this have to be so complicated?”

“It’s not uncommon for drivers to have two blades. Everyone Mythra traveled with in the past had two blades, even Addam. Actually, on second thought, we might have to be careful with Dromarch. And Crossette.”

“Oh? How so?”

“Quadrupedal blades exclusively use the Twin Rings style of weapon,” Pyra explained. “This type of weapon didn’t exist until after drivers started to use their blade’s weapons. Dromarch, specifically, will stand out like a sore thumb. The same is true of the Twin Knuckles and Bitball as well.”

“Oof. That’s all of my blades, then.” Nia asked. “Come to think of it, how did it become tradition for drivers to use their blade’s weapon?”

A flash. “.... Lora and Jin, believe it or not.” 

“Lora…? You mentioned that name before...” Rex asked, yawning. 

“She is Jin’s driver. They were poor for the majority of their lives and couldn’t afford a separate weapon most of the time. So Lora learned to fight using Jin’s sword. They gained enough notoriety in Torna before she died to make a serious impact on the culture. It just kinda became a thing.”

“So you’re telling me that the person that detested drivers being dependent on blades was the one to influence the creation of a system where drivers are dependent on their blades,” Dromarch remarked, rubbing at his face. “Pardon my ignorance but that doesn’t sound very plausible, given the Jin we knew.”

“Jin… After he lost Lora, he changed. Before that, he actually viewed the relationship between driver and blade positively. He celebrated it, even,” Mythra said, closing her eyes. “I was the one who was skeptical, actually. It’s not that I didn’t like Addam or anything. It’s just… Well, I didn’t want to be awakened. Much less thrown into a war where I had to kill someone who is effectively my brother.”

She sighed, the edges of her lips downturned. “It didn’t help that they only really made fun of me the entire time.”

Rex frowned. “Made fun of you? But you’re _Mythra_. An Aegis. Why would they...”

“Here I was, this all powerful Aegis, and I barely knew how to use my sword. I couldn’t, and still can’t, cook. I was brash and aggressive and provocative. Everything they weren’t expecting. Everything they didn’t want. I was made out to be a laughing stock. Some of it, I deserved. But...” Mythra said, the words tumbling out of her mouth like water falling off a cliff. She ran her hand through her hair. “I didn’t even want to be awakened. I wasn’t supposed to be awakened, either. The Aegis’, the Trinity Processor Cores, weren’t meant to be used as blades. Father did convert us after he created the blade system but we weren’t meant to have a driver. To get involved in the politics of humanity.”

“...I remember sitting in Siren during the battle against Malos, wanting someone to save me,” She said, staring up at the sky, eyes watering. “I was somehow too strong and too weak. Too strong because itwas _my_ blast that sank Torna. Too weak because I couldn’t save any of the people in the capital that died. I... was just a living weapon, to almost everyone. Not someone with emotions. Certainly not a person just like them.”

“Addam treated you like that…?” Rex questioned, distinctly uncomfortable. He wrapped an arm around her side, pulling her close to him.

“He didn’t. He was the only one who really believed in me. But I wonder, sometimes, if he believed in me because I was his partner or because I was the Aegis. He did allow the others to get away with...” She trailed off, laying her head on his shoulder, gesturing with her hand to make her point. “Now that I know better, I don’t know how I really feel about it. About him or anyone else. I love them but I just... don’t know.”

Nia opened her mouth to say something but decided against it. There really wasn’t anything _to_ say. She was under the impression that Mythra’s time in Torna, while brief and fraught with danger, had been rather positive. The Aegis had recounted many stories about Addam’s various exploits or hilarious moments that had occurred along the way- the almighty price getting his pants stolen by the Tirkin and running around frantically in what was pretty much his birthday suit had been a good one. She had been pretty tight lipped about the exact events but Nia had always written it off as something to do with her failure to defeat Malos.

“Anyways, I personally don’t think it would be a bad idea to stop by Aletta, at the very least. We can at least go and catch up with Zeke in person instead of having to use Roc as a messenger.” Mythra said, changing the subject. “But it’s up to you.”

“I say we go. We need to regroup and come up with a proper plan, anyways,” Crossette piped up, skating around. “Besides, I really miss Pandy and Wulfy and Godfrey. They’re soooo much fun to hang out with!”

“Wulfric is still missing. He only has Pandoria and Godfrey.” Roc mentioned.

“Aww!” She said, pouting.

“I say we go, too. I kinda miss Shellhead and his bumbling antics. Could actually go for one of his terrible jokes right about now,” Nia said, smirking. “What about you, Dromarch?”

“I go wherever you go, my lady. And I defer judgement to the one who is most familiar with this time period,” He replied, stretching. 

“And you, Rex? What do you think?” Mythra asked. 

“I say we go. The more people we find, the better,” He replied, clearing his throat. “Can we give it a couple of days, though? I’m still not feeling up to traveling long distances.”

“Very well then. Let’s not dally for too long. Addam is due back in a week and a half at the latest,” Roc said. Mythra nodded. 

“Good to know. In the meantime... you need a dose of this medicine. Open up~” She sang, puffing her cheeks out. Rex’s look of absolute horror sent them all into a fit of laughter. 

A vile portion of panacellin and a hearty meal later, they settled down for the night. Rex curled up next to Mythra, resting his head against her collarbone. Auroras danced across the sky above them, filling the empty space between the stars. A cool, crisp breeze swirled through the area, causing gooseflesh to erupt across his skin. He snuggled closer, her body warm and solid against his own.

“I’m sorry…” He whispered, breaking the silence. “That they treated you that way. It’s not fair to you.”

“It’s alright, Rex. I used to be too brash with using my Artifice, amongst other things,” She replied quietly, kissing his head softly. 

“No, it’s not. They don’t get a free pass to bully you,” Rex said, grasping her wrists. “It’s one thing to reprimand someone for something they did or are doing wrong; it’s entirely another to rub their face in the dirt while you’re at it.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it bullying…”

“Except it is. Had you been anyone other than the Aegis, do you think they would have gotten away with it?”

“Rex, you...” She started, shaking her head. Master Driver, indeed. “Thank you. For believing in me.”

“Always,” Rex said, a dopey smile on his face. “You’re my partner in crime and my partner in life. Kinda have to believe in you, now don’t I?”

She chuckled, flicking him on the nose. “You’re such a sap.”

“I’m your sap, though. And Pyra’s,” he replied cheekily. “I wonder if we’ll encounter anyone you knew along the way.”

“Like Roc said, there’s a fair chance we’ll encounter Addam at Aletta if we meander too much. If we make good time, we should be fine,” she said. “It would be best not to stick around too long. Pyra can disguise our presence from regular blades but not from a fellow Aegis.”

“What an awkward conversation that would be,” Rex said, snorting. “‘Hi, I’m your driver from 500 years in the future and we’re here to save the world for you.’ Yeah, that’ll go over real well.”

“And a descendant of Addam’s family line, no less,” she said. “That would make you like his great great great great great grand Nephew or something. Nothing quite like that awkward first meeting with your extended family.”

“Huh?!”

“I can’t confirm it, per say, but your eye color is very rare. It’s thought to only be tied to the Tornan royal family,” she said. “Given that Corinne believed you were from Tantal and the fact that Addam had three siblings who presumably all escaped Torna’s downfall…”

“Wow… Does that mean Zeke and I are related? What would that make me? His cousin or-”

“This is a really touching conversation and all but can you lovebirds talk about this in the morning? Some of us are trying to sleep here!” Nia called out, irritation seeping into her voice. 

“Sorry!” Rex replied, flushing. He locked eyes with Mythra, staring at her for a few moments before they both dissolved into giggles. “Let’s get some rest.”

“Yes. Goodnight Rex. Love you.”

“Love you too,” He replied, shutting his eyes. Peaceful rest found him for the first time in several weeks. 

_═════════•°• •°•═════════_

Minoth stopped dead in his tracks, eyes narrowing in suspicion. He glanced up, stepping back several paces, craning his neck to see up the side of the cliff. It was too tall, alas. But there was no mistaking the ever prominent presence of several blades on the plateau above. Two of them, in particular, stood out to him. They had this… power to them that he couldn’t describe. One of them almost felt like an Aegis. Almost. But that wasn’t possible. 

Right? 

It couldn’t be Malos, he was certain. (He had had the unfortunate luck of meeting the Dark Aegis once, not long after he was awakened. And he never wanted to see that smug face ever again, so reminiscent of their shared driver. The pure anger and _evil_ in those grey eyes still make him shake with fear, years later-) But it didn’t feel like Mythra, either. He had met the lady shortly after the ceremony at the Olethro Ruins in Uraya. Her ether signature was headstrong and imposing, just like her personality. This presence was quieter, not quite meek but something close to it. Yet it held itself almost with pride, power brimming behind some kind of gate like magma waiting to erupt from a crater.

Minoth tucked himself under the cliffside, closing his eyes. While he could not pick out the specifics of their conversations, he could hear the soft timbre of their voices. Three or four females and three males, from the sounds of it. Quite the hefty group. Most of them had to be blades given the sheer amount of ether circulating in the area. There was too much in the air for him to get a reading on any specific elemental types but he swore he could feel the very vestiges of fire and water prancing along his fingertips. Although, to be fair, some of that could just be the area. He was located right under Turqos Plateau, an area brimming with water ether. Fire wasn’t exactly an uncommon blade type, either. 

They were undoubtedly powerful, whoever they were. The individual ether strands seemed to wrap around two central figures - their drivers, certainly - with an intimacy that suggested years of working together, most likely on the battlefield. Even if the drivers weren’t battle trained, the strength of the connection could allow the blade’s muscle memory to transfer over the link. He had seen it happen before with Emperor Hugo and Aegaeon. 

On second thought, that powerful presence couldn’t possibly be an Aegis. There was no way Malos would have such an emotional tie to Amalthus; Last time Minoth checked, he didn’t have one at all. And Mythra had only been working with Addam for a little over a month; that wasn’t near enough time to warrant such a connection. It had to be some really powerful blade with unique abilities. They came up on occasion; The Paragon of Torna was one such blade. He shook his head, laughing internally at his paranoia. He really needed to take a break. Maybe once he got to Aletta and located his Prince, they could have a nice chat and catch up on all of the stories they had accumulated since they last met. Two years was a long time apart, after all. 

A crunching noise jolted Minoth out of his thoughts. He whipped his head back abruptly, weapons at the ready, air rushing in his ears. Wandering Antols and the expanse of white sand were the only things that greeted him. Cautiously rounding the corner, his eyes were immediately drawn to the medium sized disturbances in the sand below. On closer inspection, he realized that they were actually the faint outlines of humanoid footprints, leading to right where he had been standing.

_═════════•°• Cloud Sea, Land of Morytha, Alrest •°•═════════_

Diving into the depths of the Cloud Sea was surprisingly relaxing, Malos found. He could see why the kid enjoyed it so much. Aside from the occasional brush with wildlife, there was nothing there. Just the calming sound of the sea currents rushing past his ears and the comforting embrace of darkness. An expansive, comforting darkness that wrapped around him like a weighted blanket on a cold night.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t here on a leisurely trip. He had a mission, of sorts: To figure out what exactly happened in that final battle. And he had a sinking feeling it had something to do with the Land of Morytha (haha. Get it? Sinking feeling?). His memory was foggy, admittedly, but he would never forget that infinitesimally small hitch right before everything went dark. Nor would he forget the shining red silhouette that joined Pneuma’s green and his own purple. He didn’t know what it was that registered on Aion’s interface but he needed to find out and fast. As far as he was aware, the third Aegis - Ontos - had been lost to another universe. If it was indeed (somehow) Ontos, that begged several questions: Why had he come back? How had he come back? Where was he? And what did he want?

Rhadamanthus had held no answers, of course. Everything in his life just had to be so fucking difficult. Aion wasn’t any help either, the bastard. There was almost no difference in the World Tree of the past and the one of the future. The same advanced but useless technology, the same dreary skies... Even those damn patrolling sentries were the same. 

And his core crystal. His fucking core crystal. It had shattered when the brat (and his sister, the traitor) sliced him in half. It was completely intact, miraculously. He should be dead; but he was alive and fully functional. Somehow. Someway. And he wasn’t going to look a gift Ponio in the mouth. Not this time. Malos pushed himself through the last dredges of the clouds, finally reaching the bottom layer. He poked his head out, eyes zeroing in on the land below.

“Well fuck me, then,” He groaned. There were several rifts scattered all across the land, pulsing ominously with orange ether. They were almost drawing the energy from the lands up into themselves, growing ever so slightly wider the more they absorbed. It reminded him of wormholes, back in the old world. The world before Alrest. He had not been conscious back then, of course, but the data for it still existed in the depths of his core. 

A massive creature, amorphous in shape, floated its way towards one of the rifts. While it wasn't very tall, it was almost as wide as one of the collapsed buildings near it. Most of its body was obscured by a pulsing, black aura that glittered ominously. He found himself unable to look away, the creature's mere presence almost seemed to demand his attention. Upon touching the center of the rift, its form melted into a sleek liquid that disappeared into the center. Malos shivered, disgruntled. “Was that… was that one of those early blade experiments? Guldos, I think they’re called? What the hell is going on here?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of these days, you guys are actually going to call me out on my spelling mistakes and repetition. I just looked at the first chapter for the first time in a little over a month and holy fuck- I’m trying y’all but it sucks ass not having a beta (I’m very finicky about people seeing my work and I don’t have any friends interested in Xenoblade or Fanfiction, not that I really want my friends knowing about me here {Except you, Fayewen! I love yo face!!}). Please please please call me out on it. You can be as mean as you want and I won’t get mad. I promise!
> 
> As promised, here is Ontos' art palette (Shulk Clone...?):
> 
> Sword Bash (Back Slash)  
> Mystic Slice (Slit Edge)  
> Wide Slash (Stream Edge)  
> Genesis Saber (Air Slash)  
> Upper Edge (Shaker Edge)  
> Redemption (Light Heal)  
> Shadow Eye  
> Starburst (Battle Soul)
> 
> Talent Art: ???
> 
> Extra kudos to whoever can name every source of the art names. I don't think I'll actually ever name them explicitly in the fic but I figured why not think of one anyways, especially since I went to the effort of creating something even more intensive for a certain future party member. I kinda gave up on Shadow Eye, though, If you have suggestions for it, hit me with them!


	5. "I don't see heaven or saints or angels. I see people cashing in on every decent impulse and every human tragedy"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Change, once it begins, often happens exponentially
> 
> OR
> 
> Lora is ambushed, Zeke ponders the origin of his heritage, the villain of this story finally shows their face (kind of), and a lost soul joins the land of the living.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Ascending major arpeggio on a xylophone* Hello. This is your dispatcher speaking aboard the Xeno Express. I have been informed by the Captain that we are currently exiting the realm of canon. I hope you have enjoyed your stay. Please prepare for some turbulence *strange creaking noise* as we change tracks and also be aware of some unexpected bumps as we head closer to our final destination. *Train starts to speed up, lurching forward* As a reminder, you have a bar located above your head to your right for you to grab on should the excessive jerking of the train become too much at times. *you start to feel dizzy from the speed* Rest assured, our captain has had over eleven years of on-hand experience. We will all arrive at our destination safely and hopefully on time. *Descending major arpeggio* *The ground abruptly disappears from under the train*
> 
> My Jams: With People and Darkness (XC2), Monster Surprised You (XC2), Elysium in a Dream (XC2), Friendship (XC2), A Brewing Storm (XC2), Past from Far Distance (XC2), and Memory Space (XC1).
> 
> (Also, sorry in advance IdioticInsomniac! I didn't intend to lie to you when I replied to your comment in the first chapter. I wasn't expecting the last section to happen at all but it did anyways lol)
> 
> Completely forgot. Title of this chapter comes from Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

_═════════•°• Torigoth, Gormott, Alrest •°•═════════_

No one could have prepared them for the devastation that awaited in Torigoth. Lora’s gasps of horror still rang loud in Jin’s mind, her frantic rush around the decimated village making his heart ache with empathy. Their ether bond was normally steady, strong, and quiet, hanging in the back of their minds. Now it was hazy, weak, and loud, swirling around them with all the rage of the storm they had just endured. He held her close, letting her cry and scream and bellow into his shoulder. He wished he could do more to help her. 

“Lady Lora…” Haze mumbled, her voice full of emotion. Jin clutched her closer. Loss was a normal part of life but it seemed that the world had a vendetta against his driver. 

“Ah. There they are!” A voice shouted, breaking the tense silence. Jin glanced up to see Ardanian soldiers arc around them. He shielded Lora with his body, grasping her tightly. “Lady Brighid! These are those heathens from Coeia! They are the ones that razed Torigoth.”

“Now wait here. This is all a misunderstanding. There is no need to fight-” Addam started before a lone soldier raised his weapon to fire. Mythra summoned her sword, eyes ablaze. How dare they attack her driver. She slashed through the weapon quickly, ether cutting through the barrel of the weapon with ease. The soldier cried out in shock, looking at both of his hands before dropping his broken gun and running away. The others followed once they realized the futility of their situation. Before Mythra could put away her weapon, a blade drenched in lavender and cerulean flames emerged gracely from the retreating soldiers, long twin swords drawn at her side. It was undoubtably the Jewel of the Ardanian Empire. Just great.

"My my. What a motley crew of drivers. This should be fun," Brighid snarked, lazily swinging her swords around. Mythra's blood boiled with protectiveness.

“Mythra don’t…” Addam tried to warn but Mythra was already off, poised to strike. She attempted to disarm Brighid; she didn't want to be toppled and restrained by those whips. The fire blade dodged lazily, extending her swords out to grab her. Mythra sidestepped swiftly, foresight aiding her actions. Her next strike was met by flames. She growled, jumping back. She thought she heard someone call her name but she was too focused on dodging Brighid’s strikes. She had to admit that the Jewel knew what she was doing. A bullet embedding itself in Mythra’s shoulder gave Brighid the opening she needed. She wrapped the whip around the blade of the Aegis’ weapon, yanking it away. It fell to the ground beside her with a small ‘thump’. 

"Such inexperience. And you dare call yourself a blade," She taunted, giving a lazy grin. Mythra smirked. Oh, she _loved_ it when people pointed out her inexperience. She aimed a small, weak artifice blast straight on the smug bitch's head. Brighid stood no chance; jumping back made it strike directly on her core crystal, knocking her off her feet. Mythra smirked and gathered her weapon, feeling confident that the fight was over. Even if Brighid was still able to fight, she would be significantly weakened by a direct blast to her core. She highly doubted-

A flaming tendril wrapping around her neck stopped her in her tracks. Or, it would have had she not leapt back at the last second. 

"Who are you? What was that?!" Brighid uttered, rushing forward, hand clutching her chest. Mythra smirked, ready to keep going.

“Wouldn’t you like to know? It’s too bad you’re just a regular-”

“Brighid! Mythra! Stop! It’s me, Addam! Addam Origo!” He yelled, voice cracking, the sounds echoing off the trees. Mythra and Brighid both gasped as they felt the ether drain from their bodies, Haze’s weapon glowing a bright green. Brighid made a noise of realization as she struggled to stay upright. 

"Ah. I didn’t realize that the Aegis would be such a hot tempered bitch that’s prone to striking without thought. My sincerest apologies, Prince Addam.” Brighid said, doing her best to approximate a bow. Mythra fumed, fighting against Haze’s powers to raise her sword. She was stopped by Addam grasping her shoulders, holding her back. She snarled but didn’t try to pull herself out of his grip. Last time she did that, she hurt him. She might be a ‘hot tempered bitch’, but she wasn’t a monster. Not intentionally, anyways.

“Just let it go, Mythra,” He whispered behind her. She grasped her sword tightly, her knuckles white, a snarl waiting in the back of her throat, before she let it dissolve. Arguing with him now would just bring more attention to her. 

“My my my, Addam. You sure seem to stir up a crowd, no matter where you go,” A voice said, approaching. Addam’s eyes widened.

“Emperor Hugo! What a pleasant surprise!” He exclaimed, his face lighting up with joy. Mythra felt something in her sink. “It’s been far too long, old friend.”

“Indeed it has, Addam.” Hugo replied, eyes filled with mirth. “I do believe that I’ve told you on several occasions to just call me Hugo. The fact that I am emperor does not change the fact that we are friends.”

“If you insist…” He said sheepishly, rubbing the back on his head. “I’m sorry for any trouble we may have caused. Lora requested that we check up on her mother here in Torigoth and well….”

“I see…” Hugo replied, inclining his head forward. “My sincerest apologies that we did not get here in time. This is unfortunately not the first instance of such destruction. My condolences.”

“It’s okay,” She mumbled into Jin’s chest. 

“Where is Aegaeon? It’s unusual to see you with only Brighid,” Addam remarked. 

“Something rather significant came up last minute as I was leaving for Gormott. He is attending to the matter in my steed,” Hugo replied, a knowing smile on his face. "I have to say, I was not expecting to meet the Aegis quite so soon. Your name is Mythra, correct?"

Mythra nodded, her ether bond flickering anxiously. The Aegis this. The Aegis that. That's all she was to them.

Addam gave an awkward chuckle. "Yes. Well. You know how it is. How has your brother been?"

"He's been well. I've been tasked with dealing with Malos' destruction so he is acting as regent in my steed. My travels took me here after I found out about the village." Hugo remarked. "In fact, I have some information that might be of interest to you. We would have to return to my warship to discuss the details, however."

"I think I'll stay here, then," Lora remarked, pulling away from Jin. "I don't like how those big and stuffy ships feel."

"Are you sure? I can have you wait just on the outside where there's more space," Hugo asked.

"I'm certain. Take Jin with you. He will understand all this information better than I can." Lora said, cracking her knuckles. "Could really go to smash some green barrels right about now."

Hugo chuckled. "Very well then."

"Lora, I don't think I'm comfortable leaving you here like this…"

"I'll be fine! Haze will be here with me. Won't you, Haze?" Lora said, kissing his cheek. She grinned at the flush that rose on his face. Addam flashed them a smirk, winking. Jin scowled in return, the flush extending to his neck.

The group, minus Lora and Haze, set out for the Warship. As they exited the archway, Addam heard the telltale sign of barrels smashing which he couldn’t help but give a sad smile to; he understood all too well the pain of losing a parent to tragedy. They encountered some wildlife along the path, which they used to not only test their abilities as a group of three teams but also to fulfill the requests from Krogane. After chatting briefly with Doc about his research, they also dispatched the Espina Feris’, allowing the grateful man to continue his quest in peace.

As they approached the dock, Addam sized up the looming shape of the Ardanian Warship. Made of the finest materials and constructed with the most up to date technology, it certainly stuck out amongst all the wildlife and greenery. He didn’t quite have the mind for all the technicalities (that was more Hugo’s thing) but he couldn’t help but admire such a marvel of the world’s combined knowledge. Speaking of Hugo... his friend and his blade fighting side by side was a thing of beauty. They were graceful, deadly, swift, and precise. He never got tired of watching them fight and also watching them have quiet banter as they passed the time. Two peas in a pod, they were. Well. Three peas in a pod. It was such a shame that Aegaeon wasn't there with them. Addam wondered what could have been so important that Hugo voluntarily left Aegaeon behind. Must have been pretty significant. (Although Hugo had not appeared panicked. He looked just fine, in fact. But he knew his friend was hard to read at times.)

He couldn’t help but be a little envious, if he was honest with himself. The connection between the Aegis and himself was lacking. Up until Brighid showed up, it was getting somewhere. They were getting closer. But it felt like they were back to square one.

"Mythra, I can tell something is bothering you. Ever since we departed from Torigoth, you've been unusually quiet," Addam coaxed, giving a soft smile. "You can talk with me."

"I…" Mythra started, looking away, her face red with shame. She took several deep breaths, willing the ether in her body to slow down. That’s the thing, though. She couldn’t talk with him. Emotions were hard for her to handle, much less understand. They all looked at her like she was simultaneously the savior of the world and a child that needed to be babysat. She didn’t know how she was supposed to react to them, how to act around them. They made her feel anxious. All it took was one look for her stomach to do some kind of weird acrobatics, making her shake with fright. She hated being stared at with such intensity. (Of course, she understood that her style of dress would draw attention, especially from pervy males. But that was a different type of attention. It wasn’t the paralyzing, disapproving judgement that made her question why she was even here. Why she was even alive.) As she opened her mouth to give a proper reply, Milton let out a barking laugh. 

"She's probably still too ashamed that she couldn't defeat Brighid, even with her stupid artifice." He commented, cackling. Mythra froze, discomfort threatening to burst out of her stomach. She grasped at her sides, feeling suddenly exposed.

"Nevermind. It's not important," She said, her legs moving forward on her own accord, her eyes burning with shame. She felt Addam tug at their ether bond, trying to get her to stop. She ignored him. Any time she opened her mouth to speak her mind, she was laughed at or mocked. And they just stood there! Her own damn driver just stood there, held her back, and let them talk to her like that! They let Milton get away with it! And Brighid! Now she had another person to step on eggshells around. There wasn’t a point in talking about her feelings. Not when she was just going to be dismissed and ridiculed for everything she did. The Aegis she may be, whatever that was supposed to mean, but it was obvious that she was nothing more than a means to an end for them. Hell, Addam had straight up told her that the only reason she was awakened is because she was needed to kill Malos (well, he hadn't quite phrased it like that. But the sentiment was there). She had even heard him admit to his sister that he didn’t even want to become a driver, much less her driver (And, somewhere deep down in the box of things that she swore that she would never open, it hurt. It hurt so much-)

"Milton…" Addam said, a warning in his voice, keeping an eye on his blade.

"What? Was it something I said?" Milton asked, oblivious. Addam sighed heavily, shaking his head. Hugo gave him an understanding smile as they boarded. The lack of response from his blade frustrated him to no end. He didn’t understand what he was doing wrong. He just wanted to help her and ease her through her emotions but she wasn’t budging. Why did he sign up for this again…? Oh, that's right. He didn't. His uncle didn't have the ability to resonate with blades and neither did his siblings. So the defeat of Malos rested on his shoulders.

The interior of the ship was just as expansive as the exterior. Hugo led them directly to the heart, greeting the various soldiers and servants cordially. They all pooled around the center, where a world map was spread out. 

“My sincerest apologies again for not getting here fast enough. We barely had time to leave Mor Ardain once we heard of the potential attack. As you know, during the spring, Gormott and the mainland are extremely far apart,” Hugo remarked, staring at the imposing shape of the Pratorium. “It’s rather unfortunate that people focus so much of their time bickering and fighting each other while Malos roams the world, unchecked.”

“Yes. The powers that be would rather spend their time arguing over fruitless, technical jargon than actually caring about the people,” Addam remarked. “I wish I could tell you that Torna is an exception but alas, we are not. Zettar has far more influence over the attitudes of the government officials than I care to admit.”

“Your relationship is still that strained?”

“Yes. I still do not know exactly what I did to make him hate me so. I probably will never know, either,” Addam said, shaking his head. “Say, you mentioned earlier that something happened back home at the last minute. Care to elaborate?”

“Well…. I suppose you could say something rather interesting landed inside my personal bedroom. Almost burned the door down to boot," Hugo said, chuckling. "Scared the daylights out of my blades and I when it happened."

"How could something land inside your bedroom without destroying it? And how does that equate to almost burning down your door?" Jin asked, raising an eyebrow. Hugo couldn't repress the grin on his face. Brighid scowled in return.

"It was not a bomb, I assure you. I'm afraid that I'm not at liberty to explain everything right at this moment. I barely understand what happened myself," Hugo said, shaking his head. "You will all find out eventually. Sooner rather than later, me thinks. Speaking of which... Addam, do you think I could collect some medicine from your homestead?"

"Of course, old friend. You don't even need to ask," Addam replied, tilting his head slightly. "You're being remarkably calm about this entire situation."

"Yes, well. I've had some time to process it," Hugo replied. Before Brighid could warn Hugo against sharing anymore, one of the doors slammed open, catching everyone's attention.

“We detected movement in Torigoth by foreign bodies. We are unable to identify any of the individuals,” the special inquisitor relayed, out of breath. Jin startled.

“Lora!” He exclaimed, shooting forward in a panic. Addam frowned for a minute, not understanding. His eyes widened in realization before he took off after Jin, everyone else following. He tripped, luckily managing to catch himself. It was times like these that he cursed his youth and how badly he had treated his body, his knees aching with every step. Whether it was the adrenaline, the panic, or both, they somehow made it to Torigoth in record time.

The bodies of several Indoline monks littered the ground, guts hanging haphazardly out of their bloodied corpses. The closer they got towards the cemetery, the more bloodied the bodies were. Lora and Haze were standing back to back, weapons drawn, shaking like a leaf.

"Lora! What happened?" Jin said, rushing forward in a blur. 

"I…. We don't know. It all happened so fast," Lora said, letting herself fall into Jin's embrace. She took a deep breath. She was safe. "We got rushed by those... whoever they are, their weapons drawn. We tried to figure out what they wanted but they wouldn't really tell us anything. We were severely outnumbered but…"

"Someone saved us. A blade. A very powerful blade," Haze remarked, eyes watching the surroundings. Lightning flashed ominously in the distance. "I couldn't get a good look at them because they were moving so fast. They tore through the enemies like they were nothing. There must be at least 20 corpses. It was over in less than 5 seconds."

"5 seconds….?" Addam echoed, counting the bodies. Haze was right; there were around twenty. It was hard to tell for sure since some of them had been sliced in half. By far not the worst thing he had ever seen in his life but it was a close second.

"Hey Addam, come look at this," Mythra said, her voice dead. She pulled out the pocket on one of the robes, which displayed a symbol. Addam knelt down, examining it. His blood ran cold. 

“This symbol…. This is the symbol of the Praetorium. The Praetor’s inner circle, to be precise.”

“Are you sure?” Haze asked, her hands trembling around her staff. 

“Before we set off on our journey, we both had to familiarize ourselves with the flags, symbols, whatever, of foreign nations,” Mythra said, scrunching her nose up in distaste. Humans were so complicated. “So we didn’t accidentally cause tensions between us and other nations. Addam's right. This is Indol, without a doubt.”

“We need to go back to Torna now,” Addam said, tearing off the patch. He stood up abruptly, a dark look on his face. “And you need to get back to Mor Ardain. Since this is technically Ardainian territory….” 

"I agree. Let us go forth," Hugo said, face twitching ever so slightly into a small frown. They set a brisk pace back towards the warship, all of them eyeing the oncoming storm.

“I don’t like this,” Lora murmured. Jin hummed in agreement, clutching her hand. Thunder roared high above them, its battle cry rolling across the quiet fields like a rampaging pack of Gogols. He glanced up when he felt the sky spit on him. They picked up the pace, barely making it inside the protective walls of the ship before the heavens unleashed its fury, sheets and sheets of rain beating the body of the poor Titan. 

_═════════•°• Militia Camp, Aletta Region, Torna •°•═════════_

Humidity clung to his skin as Zeke’s cheeks burned from the healthy flame. Herbs and spices and wood smoke tickled the inside of Zeke’s nose alongside the scent of sizzling Moramora meat. It wasn't his favorite, per say, but he was hungry enough to look past the taste. The sun was just starting to set on the quiet militia, the usual fair for this time of day. Only the night guard, medics, and night owls still roamed about. Noowl and Kaleena were chatting up a storm as was usual, minding their own business. Mungo’s apprentices (their names escaped him at the moment) tended to the drivers that had gotten scrapped up defending the homestead from some agitated wildlife. There wasn’t anything else for them to do when the whereabouts of Malos were unknown. 

Speaking of Malos..... That was... Well. He had given them a lot of trouble throughout their entire journey, to put it lightly, even with the full extent of Pneuma’s power. They were more than ready between himself and the others but the execution was the biggest issue. Did Mythra want to wait to confront Malos? Or did they want to go and track him down? Or did they try to intercept Malos somewhere?

Their notoriety was also something to consider. Zeke highly doubted anyone would buy that they were from the future. It was unheard of. Hell, had it not happened to him directly, he would be disbelieving too. It was bad enough that there were two Mythra’s (although Zeke was fairly certain Pyra was the one running around). Their situation was made worse by the fact that Morag was still missing. If the Emperor of Mor Ardain caught wind of her blades… Hell, if any world powers caught wind of her blades, then it had the possibility of being a disaster on an international scale. 

And Tora. The nopon could probably blend just fine, even if he was slightly confused about where exactly he was. But Poppi (and Poppibuster, subsequently)? There was no hiding Poppi behind an alternate form. If Tora had any semblance of a brain, he wouldn’t be running out and about with his blade. There were still too many unknowns for them to make rash decisions without thinking them through. And Gramps. Didn’t he also exist in this time? And what of Wulfric?

Zeke heard an indignant squawk followed by giggling from behind him. “Really? Really now?”

He craned his head around to see Noowl’s blade with a cookie held above his head, much to the amusement of Kaleena and disapproval of his driver. Zeke smiled, shaking his head. It reminded him of the dynamic between Poppibuster and Morag. They came from such different cultures yet some things inevitably remained the same...

It was odd to think that his country was formed by the very people he interacted with on a daily basis. Right before they had left for the World Tree, he had been able to pry some information out of his old man. Most of the original records had been lost but it was believed the Tantalese royal line came from that of the High Prince Zettar, who was thought to be Addam’s uncle. Zettar had fled Torna when the King perished with the titan. He believed the country to be foolishly trusting, having "nearly open borders" according to one of the last surviving manuscripts. As a result, Tantal was created to be an isolationist country that wanted nothing to do with the outside world. The people had gone along with it, shell shocked at the destruction of their homeland to do much of anything except flee and hope they wouldn't be attacked again. 

If only they knew what that terrible decision would end up being. 

The fire crackled beneath the meat, scattering small embers by his feet. Zeke hummed low in his throat as he turned it, eye scanning the area. There was nothing there, of course, but Zeke had no doubt that they were being watched. Again. The presence had followed him ever since he started helping out around camp. It wasn’t malicious in nature. It merely seemed… Curious. Intrigued. Watchful. None of the people in the militia had found anyone when he mentioned that Pandoria felt an unfamiliar presence (He couldn’t say that he felt it, of course. Blade Eaters weren’t a thing in this time, as far as he was aware. And the last thing he needed was more attention on him. It was bad enough that he grabbed Pandy’s sword out of habit one time and started swinging it around like it was nothing. That had been fun to explain).

“Zeke…” Godfrey approached him from the side, catching his attention. A passing glance to the side indicated that he felt the presence too. “You’re going to want and come look at this.”

“Oh? What’s up?” he questioned. He frowned when he saw the bags under his eyes and the sullen yet serious expression on his face. Godfrey usually had even him beat with enthusiasm and cheer (as much as he didn’t want to admit it). But the stress even caught up to him, sometimes.

“There’s something odd about the beasts that Kaleena and Noowl killed last night. The guards on duty were able to drag their bodies to the camp just outside. They asked for your opinion.” 

He tilted his head to the side. "Mine? Why mine?"

His blade shrugged. "You've earned their respect. And it’s not like you’ve hidden your prowess in combat."

He couldn't argue with that. Pandoria threw an absolute fit anytime some of the girls (or guys) drooled over him after a long day of hunting. Leaving the meat to Noowl, Zeke traveled to the outskirts of the camp. Nodding at the guards, he approached the bodies and knelt down. The first thing that struck Zeke was the smell. Or rather, the lack of smell. The Tirkin and Krustnips weren’t decomposing. In fact, save for the dried blood matting the feathers around their wounds or staining their skin, they looked like fresh kills. 

However, he couldn’t deny that there was just... something wrong about them. He couldn’t quite place his finger on it. Gooseflesh erupted across his body as he leaned in to inspect the bodies closer. They looked almost… bloated. The arms of the Tirkin were not proportional to the rest of their body and a set or two of legs on the Krustnips seemed to be so large that it was breaking skin. Godfrey knelt down, poking lightly at the taunt skin. 

“Godfrey, get back!” Zeke suddenly yelled, pulling his blade back. It wasn’t a moment too soon; the bodies started to expand even even more, bursting into a fine black mist and guts. Blood and random bits of flesh and organs plastered themselves on Zeke’s pants. He dry heaved at the feeling of slimy intestines falling off his leg and the sudden stench of decayed flesh in his lungs. 

“Disgusting…” Zeke remarked, rubbing his mouth with the side of his hand. He could feel bile rising at the back of his throat. 

“Tell me about it. Thanks Zeke,” Godfrey replied, swallowing heavily. They weren’t going to go one day without _something_ happening, were they?

_═════════•°• Secret Chamber, Indol, Alrest •°•═════════_

A relatively quiet night settled in the Praetorium. The twinkling sky was partially obscured by light cloud cover, the moon bathing the ground with its guiding, dim presence. Amalthus' robes caught the wind, swirling around him as he walked by the portrait depicting the birth of their world. The broad strokes, the abstract figures, the color contrasts… It was a thing of beauty, no doubt. Whoever painted it had an artist’s intuition. 

His face twisted into a sneer as he resisted the temptation to slash through it (not that it would do much since his fingernails would break against the solid stone). What lies it depicted. It’s very good that the Prophet had cleared things up for all of them. The Prophet would save the world from the tyranny of the Architect’s creations. The Prophet would save them all.

“Ah. There you are. Our newest resident is looking for you,” Rhadallis said, emerging from the shadows. He startled slightly, barely able to conceal the snarl of anger. How that man managed to sneak up on him to this day never ceased to amaze him. He sighed, keeping his face as neutral as possible.

“Are they now? What more can they hope to accomplish with me? I am merely a lowly Questor,” He asked, intrigue seeping into his voice. The Prophet seemed to have something of a soft spot for him. Where they commanded the attention of everyone and demanded their utmost respect, with him the Prophet seemed to be more relaxed. More open. More vulnerable.

“You know them. They speak in riddles and expect us to discern the meaning behind their words. They will be awaiting your presence in their chambers. Please exercise more control over your emotions, my dear Questor.” The Praetor said, dipping his head before walking away. Amalthus sighed, rubbing his face. He cast one longing glance towards the painting before making the short trek to The Prophet’s chambers. 

The Prophet could not be adequately explained. They stuck to the shadow of the room, never revealing their true face. They were tall, much taller than any known bipedal species. Their eerie red eyes, not native to any humanoid creatures that he knew of, stuck out in the darkness of the room. They had dull lines of ether adorning their body in a blade-like fashion, not quite bright enough to cast light on their body but enough to be visible in dim lightning.

Amalthus could only guess as to what they were. He was relatively certain that they weren’t human or Indoline; humans never grew to that height and they didn’t appear to have the traditional blue skin of someone from Indol. But that begged the question as to what exactly they were. If The Prophet was a blade, then that brought up some interesting questions as to why they sought to see their own kind eliminated. But Amalthus dismissed the thought. It didn’t matter what The Prophet was. The Prophet knew how to save them from certain doom. And if that meant they were willing to sacrifice their entire species in order to do so, then so be it. 

He knocked on the imposing door three times, stepping back. “You may enter.”

He entered the enclosure, carefully taking a seat at the table where tea was waiting for him. Despite having a form of nightvision, he still had trouble seeing in the almost pitch black room. “You requested my presence, sir?”

“Indeed I did. I would like to update the tasks I wish for you to accomplish. You have proven yourself very competent so far and I would like to reward you for it,” they said, tone rich with amusement. 

“My thanks, Prophet,” Amalthus mumbled, unsure of how to react to such statements. He took a sip of his tea to hide his nervousness.

“No thanks needed,” they replied, chuckling. “I need you to send the best of your monks and as many of your mercenaries after your Aegis.”

“After Malos? What for? He has yet to-” 

“Malos must be eliminated. Blades are fickle, finicky creatures. I know that he will not accomplish what we wish for him to accomplish,” they said, their shadow moving slightly. “He has done well in his endeavors. The sinking of the Coeia and Judicium have given us a significant advantage. But our experiments have progressed at a rate that have made him obsolete. Our weaponry, as well. We have no need for a weapon that will not bow to our command.”

“What is his current location?” he asked, still taken aback. This…. would pose a bit of a problem. 

“It seems he is currently traveling on a ship of sorts. It may be heading towards Gormott.” The Prophet said. “Unfortunately, it seems that Mythra’s presence is mudding up his location indicators.”

“Ah yes. The other Aegis. What shall we do about her?”

“Kill her, of course. We need to keep her driver alive, however. Addam is far too instrumental to Torna for him to die.” The Prophet said. “If we lose him, we lose any and all chances of… persuading the people to submit peacefully.”

“Is it possible to do that? Kill the blade and keep the driver alive?”

“Indeed it is. A good blow from a shield hammer to her core crystal should do it. From what I’ve heard, she’s very… green, when it comes to fighting. Like driver, like blade, I suppose. Just take care to avoid the blasts of her artifice and you should be fine.”

Interesting. “...Would you prefer I go after Malos or Mythra first?”

The Prophet appeared to crane their neck to the side. “Mythra will be the hardest. From what I understand, Prince Addam has allied himself with a very powerful driver. He’s also friends with the Emperor Hugo of Mor Ardain. If we don’t deal with her…. discreetly, they might raise an army in retaliation. Go after Malos first, my subject. I will concoct a plan to deal with Mythra in due time.”

“Of course, sir. Is there anything else that you wish for me to do?”

“That is all, dear Amalthus. You are dismissed,” The Prophet commanded, swiping a hand in front of them. 

Bowing, Amalthus turned away and walked towards the door. Before he could exit the room, he heard them take a breath. “I sincerely hope we will not run into any interlopers…”

“What was that?” Amalthus asked, turning his head back. They sighed.

“Nevermind that. It’s nothing. Let’s focus on enacting our plan first and foremost. You are dismissed.”

_═════════•°• Memory Space •°•═════════_

His body felt weightless and light as he... floated? He did not know where he was. He could not see. He could not smell. He could not taste. He could only hear - _a warm voice in his mind, reassuring him -_ and feel - _an everlasting, permeating cold that chilled him to his core._

“A lost soul. How peculiar.” A new voice said from somewhere. It had a wispy, fairy like quality to it. He could not discern its origin as it seemed to come from all directions, surrounding him. “What brings you here, I wonder? You are quite a ways away from home.”

A lost soul? He was lost…? How could he be lost if he didn’t remember where he began? Where he was from. Who he was.

“Perhaps lost is the wrong word. Hmm….. You are drifting, so to speak.”

Drifting how? Drifting where?

“How to put this… You are in a memory space. It exists somewhere within the folds of reality.” The voice explained, contemplation heavy on their inflection. “How you found yourself here, I don’t know. But I will not complain, exactly.”

Memory Space? Complain…? He didn’t understand. 

“I am... lonely, I suppose. I have existed for millennia without anyone to call a friend. The only person I talked to was my former master who grew more and more insane as time passed. Even now, when I wander the physical world, I am kept at an arm’s length. The people around me believe that I do not belong.”

Millennia? Former master? Belonging… That word sparked some feeling inside of him. It was comforting. It burned against his icy skin. 

“I see. So you are not completely without your memories. Perhaps further conversion will spark some recognition.”

Perhaps it would. He wondered if the voice had a name. 

“A name…? Ah. My apologies. You may refer to me as Ontos.”

Ontos. Ontos. It sounded familiar, for some reason. He cursed his hazy memory and the fledgling of a headache emerging in his mind. 

“I would be surprised if you did know my name. From what I understand, all records of my existence have long been lost to the passage of time.”

Lost to time? Why would his name have been lost to time? Just who was he talking to?

“Hmmm… How to explain what I am... “ Ontos said. “If I said that I am an artificial lifeform, would you understand what I meant?”

Artificial lifeform? Like a blade?

“Not quite. I am… a predecessor to all blades, of sorts. One of three, in fact.” He explained. “From what I understand, your world gave a special name to those like me. Although I am unsure as to what that term exactly is.”

Those like him? There are other lifeforms like him? In Alrest?

“Yes. If I am not mistaken, the closest term to describe our relationship would be siblings.”

Siblings…? Artificial lifeforms had siblings? Was that even possible? (Somewhere, deep down, he knew it was).

The voice chuckled, their voice filled with mirth. “Yes. A brother and a sister. Logos and Pneuma, respectively. We lost contact with each other when I left your universe.”

His gut lurched in recognition. Logos felt even more familiar, his fingertips tingling with sparks, but he definitely knew Pneuma. She was... the Aegis? His enemy yet also his friend. Why did he feel this way? The memories were dangling right in front of his face, just out of reach.

“The Aegis, huh…? Is that what Logos is referred to as well? The Aegis?” the voice mused. “Such an interesting world you come from. An interesting term to use as well.”

How so? 

“The Aegis, in a world destroyed long ago by a madman, was thought to be the shield used by the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena.” The voice said, chuckling. “My counterparts got their name from the same language, in fact. The word Logos refers to the ideas of reason and judgement while Pneuma refers to the creative force, the spirit and soul, of a person.”

Reason and creativity. Two ideals often viewed as opposing characteristics. Voices, male and female, argued in his head. Flashes of campfires and red hair and blood and ice and lavender filled his vision. Who was he? What was his name? Who were those people? Their names were on the tip of his tongue.

“Ah. There’s some recognition.”

Yes. He didn’t know their names but they were his friends. They were his family. The place that he belonged. They were home. And somewhere, somehow, he had left them behind. 

“Would you like to see them again?”

That was possible? Wasn’t he dead? Is that not what it means for one’s soul to be adrift?

“You are not quite alive but not quite dead, either. Restoring your life and physical body will be of no hardship to me. Should you accept, I do have one condition.”

He wanted to see his family. He wanted to go home. He would do whatever it took. 

“I need you to find Logos and/or Pneuma. Preferably both. I have tried many times to establish contact with them but something, or someone, is blocking the transmission. I am trying to find ways around them but I have no idea when, or if, that will occur. Whatever, or whoever, has not yet figured out how to stop me from contacting someone outside of the system. Please find my siblings and relay this message to them.” Ontos said. A brilliant red, the color of the sun as it set before nightfall, flared in his eyes, his body becoming warmer and warmer by the second. He felt energized and much better than he ever remembered feeling. Memories wrapped around him like a blanket, chasing away the chill that resided in his body.

An expanse of twinkling stars and expansive darkness greeted him as he opened his eyes. He glanced down to see a giant sphere, green and blue and brown interacting in strange shapes he couldn’t quite place. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and scratchy with disuse. “Alright. I will find them for you. Would you like me to do anything else?”

“You asked for my name. What is yours?”

His name…? Ah that’s right. “My name is Jin. Pleased to meet you, Ontos.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE’RE GOING OFF THE RAILS ON A CRAZY TRAIN~ 
> 
> Soooo… you know how I mentioned that I would be getting swamped with work once classes started…..? Yeah, I’m getting absolutely destroyed. Like "getting hit in the head with a spiked baseball bat by someone 4x my weight" type of destroyed. I will update when I can from now on but I assure you; I’m still writing whenever I get a free 15 minutes or so. This will not be abandoned. I’ve become too attached to let it go lol. I'm aiming for early November update but it might be closer to the end of November depending how badly my classes fuck me over. I'll keep the tags updated with my progress if you guys want to check in periodically.
> 
> 22/77 Barrels smashed
> 
> Also. Happy Belated 2 year anniversary of TTGC. And Happy "Chuggaaconroy is Let's Playing Xenoblade 2" (?) Not sure how to phrase that lol
> 
> Constructive criticism. I love it. Please give it if you have it. I'm going to pull a Mythra and sleep for the next 500 years okay? Fayewen will update in my steed (You got this!)


	6. "No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The paths of fate wind slowly forward. Two paths grow closer still, standing now mere centimeters away. Almost touching. Almost there. Almost *together*
> 
> OR
> 
> Melia and co. find a strange Machina in the Capital, Dunham and the rest of the party plus two gear up for another adventure, and Jin returns home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Ponspectors (really, all the Nopon) were really fun to write y'all. Hope you enjoy this extra long chapter (a couple of days earlier than projected) as things slowly start to ramp up!
> 
> Title comes from Buddha apparently but I don't actually think so. 
> 
> My Jams: Bionis Shoulder (Day and Night, XC1), Memory Space (XC1), Fogbeast Battle (XC1), Engage the Enemy (XC1), Colony 9 (Day, XC1), Auresco (Day, XC2).

_═════════•°• Bionis Shoulder •°•═════════_

Melia breathed a sigh of relief. They were _finally_ on their way to Alcamoth (after stopping several times along the way, of course). Tei-Tei of the Ponspectors (whose unofficial second in command, Tentoo, they would come to encounter just a little later) had demanded that they go and grab his protective charm for him, located in Nerthis Necropolis. That gave them an excuse to grab the Ek’s Iron Hearts, collect the Plump Wildgrass, kill the Noble Brogs, Caterpiles, and Nebulas, amongst other things. Melia appreciated Shulk’s kind heartedness and loved that he cared so much for people but it was frustrating that he put so much effort into others despite volunteering to help her.

She didn’t know exactly what to think of the Ponspectors yet. However, she could not deny that they were a valuable addition to their team, both in and outside of battle. Out of the three they had encountered so far, her favorite was Evelen. She was the baby of the group, only having four years of experience, but she definitely had the most personality. Beyond just their repetitive cries of “We Measure. Find Treasure. Ponspectors till we die!” She had a feeling that phrase would haunt her in her dreams. 

Currently, they were taking a lunch break courtesy of all the hunting they did to feed Evelen. According to Alvis, they were sitting along the cliffside next to Zephyr’s Councel on the Cinnabar Plateau. Fitting name, given all the various shades of brown and ginger red grass. (That was, of course, after they took care of Highborn Alexandra, who wouldn’t stop chasing them down no matter where they settled. Melia could still hear Shulk mumble to himself about those ‘bloody unique monsters sneaking up on them’.) 

Speaking of the devil… Alvis. The mysterious supercomputer that was apparently responsible for maintaining and creating the very world she lived in. She didn’t hate him, per say. Was he odd? Certainly. Was he bad? Not at all. She merely disliked the way that he referred to her brother and her father. Almost as if he didn’t know them. As if he didn’t serve them and befriend them for years and years. As if, as she had come to find out, he hadn’t served their family for over a millennia. She had been devastated after their deaths, even though she kept calm and collected for the sake of her people and their future. Alvis seemed to move on rather quickly. She knew it could be due to his… species. Machina excluded, most people wouldn’t think to liken emotion to machines. But Alvis did feel emotions; she could see it in the way his face dropped when situations didn’t go as planned. In the way he took care to make sure Fiora healed after her time in the regeneration machine. In the way he cared for Riki and Oka’s children when they wanted to have a quiet night to themselves. In the way he made sure Shulk didn’t work himself to death in the lab.

“Miss Melia! Did you know that special mineral called Hover Stone make land go floaty floaty?” Kino prompted, bringing Melia out of her thoughts. 

She chuckled softly, smiling. “No, I did not. Is that why we’re so high in the sky?”

“Yeah! Clouds below look fluffy as fur of Hoxes! Just want to jump and bounce up and down!” The Nopon said, twirling around. “But Kino not do that. Kino know Kino would fall straight through!”

“That you would,” She remarked. “Who told you about the stones?”

“Mister Shulk did. He read big book about Giants! Kino still not understand why Mister Shulk want to read stuffy book,” Kino said, pouting. She reached over and ruffled the fur on the top of his head.

“Kino, it's important to remember that we all have different interests. Reading books is to Shulk what climbing trees is to you,” She said, standing up. “Let us rejoin the others, hmm? We still have a bit of a trek before we get to the capital.”

After regrouping, they traveled along the Cinnabar Plateau and headed into the Barouh Ruins Cave. Despite being several centuries old, they were in surprisingly good condition. And freakishly tall. But given that the Shoulder was once the home of the Giants, it made sense. Several of the creatures (in particular, the Moramoras) gave them odd looks as they passed but made no move to attack. 

“Friends look! That friend Dekadeka! And are those… Antols?” Tei-Tei cried, flapping his incessantly. 

“Indeed. Shall we lend a hand?” Alvis questioned, brushing a stray hair out of his face.

“No need,” Melia said, summoning a couple electric and fire elementals. Humming to herself, she aimed her staff and discharged them on the Antol in the center. It shrieked in pain, skeleton flashing in and out of view as it burned straight to ash right in front of the trembling Nopon. The other creatures weren’t able to escape Melia’s wrath either; the remaining flames were hot enough to set their fine hair on fire, burning them alive. Dekadeka took advantage of the creature’s pain to flee past them, hiding behind Melia’s leg.

“Brutal,” Shulk said, shaking his head. 

“The ether concentration is much stronger and much more intense here,” Alvis said. “When she summons elementals, she draws them from the environment. Hence why it’s easier to draw some elements in certain areas, like ice from Valak Mountain, and why it's harder to draw fire from, say, Eryth Sea.”

“Indeed. I noticed it earlier but I had no way to test it out,” She said. “It explains why the Telethia are gathering around here as well.”

“I knew that,” Shulk said sheepishly. Melia gave him a blank stare.

“Mister S-S-Sh-Shulk… What that over there?!” Kino exclaimed, scrambling behind the Homs.

“That Grotesque Deimis. Friends could defeat it if friends want earth ether crystal!” Dekadeka remarked, gazing longingly at the deposit behind the giant Antol. Melia thought he was surprisingly optimistic considering he had been trapped by a few worker Antols not even five minutes before.

“Tei-Tei pass on this one. Scary monster is scary,” the Nopon remarked, hiding behind Alvis’ leg. The seer chuckled.

“We have more than enough ether crystals with us to arm ourselves and all of you. Worry not,” he said. He reached into the bag containing the ether crystals they brought with them, pulling out an HP Up VI and two Agility Up VI’s. “Here. I think these will be to your liking.”

Tentoo nodded approvingly, holding the green gem up to the light before handing it to Dekadeka. “Friend’s absolutely loaded. Very helpful indeed.”

“Of course Miss Melly, Mister Shulk, and Mister Alvis loaded. They friends of Dadapon, Heropon Riki!” Nene beamed, dancing and twirling in the air.

“I say we pass on the ether crystals this time. We are on a mission, after all. If we need more, we can always harvest them later,” Alvis commented, foraging ahead. Melia and Shulk followed close behind him, the Nopon bringing up the rear. They treaded carefully, holding loose items close to their body to avoid any rattling noises. The Antols were smart enough to steer clear of their paths; the Vangs, not so much. 

“Whew! Tei-Tei glad to be out of stuffy cave!” 

“Friends of Nene were barely in cave! Maybe five minutes! Why be ponspector if Tei-Tei no like caves?”

“Tei-Tei like exploring open fields and grass! Helped map out parts of Makna! Caves full of scary monsters!

“Exploration not just finding ancient ruins, after all! ” Tentoo chimed in, giving a mock salute.

“What do Ponspectors even do? Nene never even heard name before!”

“Tentoo knew inadequate funding and lack of exploration make name fade from memory…”

Shaking her head fondly, Melia let their conversation fade into the background. The landmark they approached seemed familiar to Melia (Pillar Knoll, as their map- Ahem, as Alvis said?). She just couldn’t put her finger on it until she remembered that she had had a peculiar dream, once. One of the Mammut type enemies from Valak Mountain was there, surrounded in the same strange black mist that they had seen in the Volffs earlier. Fiora and Riki had been there with her, fighting it and the creatures it… controlled. Possessed. Whatever you wanted to call it. It had taken a lot of time to take down; she had never had to rely so much on water ether and Healing Gift before. 

They pressed on, stepping careful along the bridges that could only be made for Giants. The sun was starting to set in the background, the sky painted shades of blue, pink, orange, and yellow. A couple Rhogals were circling menacingly around the towers but they were no match for Kino’s ether rifle and Alvis’ Claymore. 

“Should we stop for today? It’s getting pretty late,” Shulk asked, watching the sun disappear from view.

“Evelen agree! Would be smart to stop for today,” The Nopon chimed in, yawning. 

“... I think we should press on,” Melia said quietly, watching Alcamoth wistfully. “It is not my intention to get into a fight with this so-called Fog King. I only wish to merely see the state of the capital.”

“Are you sure, your highness? We will be walking in completely blind,” 

“I am grateful for your concern, Alvis. But I am certain,” Melia said, closing her eyes. She tipped her head forward slightly “I am honestly not sure that I could sleep tonight with my home being so close.”

“Nene completely understand! If Great Tree of Makna were here, Nene would not stop running until Nene gets there!” She said. “Nene and friends will be fine! Friends strong and Nene even stronger!”

Shulk laughed, shaking his head. “You do have a point there. It’s not everyday you get to work with the children of Heropon Riki!”

“If Miss Melia want to go, then Ponpectors and friends go too!” Tentoo sang.

“Tei-Tei not sure what to think of this…”

“Tei-Tei never sure what to think of anything. Ponspectors have always been strong. Dekadeka say we go!”

“What do you think, Kino? Should we rest tonight?” Melia asked.

“K-Kino still ha-have plenty of rifle shots. Kino could heal you all if get injured. Ki-Kino okay with it,” He said, stepping out from behind his sister. “Kino want to be brave. Kino want to be like Dadapon and Mamapon!”

“You already are brave like your parents, Kino. You wouldn't be here if you were not,” Alvis said. “With that decided, we should aim to make this trip as short and concise as possible.”

“I agree,” Shulk said. A stray Moramora and Quadwing later, they found themselves standing in front of a very familiar structure. 

“Satorl Seal Island…” Melia mused as they approached. “What’s it doing all the way up here?”

“The Hover Stones seemed to have increased in strength somehow,” Alvis said, a breeze blowing hair into his face. “The islands that make up what we know as Eryth Sea were at one point attached to the Bionis Shoulder.”

“How are friends and Nene getting to capital from here?”

“There’s a teleporter at the top. It can only be used by those with royal blood and a few select individuals,” Alvis said as they ascended.

“What if teleporter not working?” Kino asked.

“Then we’ll fix it,” Shulk said. 

“Oooo! Kino almost forget that Mister Shulk can fix machines!” 

“Kino no need to praise him. Mister Shulk already have big enough head,” Nene replied, lightly hitting her brother along his head.

“Hey! I’m not Reyn! I don’t have that big of an ego!” Shulk exclaimed, looking at Alvis. “I don’t have an ego, right Alvis? …Alvis?”

“No comment,” the seer replied, approaching the seal. “...It seems that the teleporter has already been activated.”

“How peculiar..." Melia hummed to herself. She would think about the implications of that at some point down the road.

It was time.

“Are you ready?” Shulk asked, gazing into her eyes. She gave a small nod, unsure if she could trust her voice. Together, they stepped onto the transporter.

Chills ran down Melia’s spine as they emerged on the other side. She took a deep breathe; She was finally _home._ After all this time, it was only a vestige of what she remembered. If she closed her eyes, she could still see faint glimpses of Piko chasing after Pipiko, Kaleka talking about the upcoming shooting stars, Teelan wandering around with his Gold Caterpillars. The only thing that remained now was its lifeless corpse. The telethia were gone; windows were shattered; the floating stands remained still and dead; the escalators stood eerily still. It was Alcamoth, certainly.

Yet, at the same time, it was not. 

“I’m surprised to see that it still stands in such condition. Based on what Maxis implied, I would have assumed more had been destroyed,” Alvis commented, watching the area with narrowed eyes. 

“Indeed,” Melia remarked, standing in front of the escalators. “It will make repairing the capital all the more easier once we defeat the Fog King once and for all."

“I agree. We should exercise caution when exploring, however. Take a look,” Shulk said, gesturing towards the second level. She narrowed her eyes, scanning the skies. There were a couple Chloro Leia that was flying around. “They're surrounded in the same black mist as those Volffs earlier.”

“Scare monsters put up quite a fight. Kino no want to fight it,” Kino said, hiding behind his sister. 

“Kino no worry. Nene will bash beast head in before brotherpon get hurt,” the pink Nopon remarked, striking a pose that reminded Melia of Riki. 

“Look! It Dry-Dry!” Evelen said. “Over there! By moving stairs!”

“What he doing?” Tei-Tei asked.

“Probably looking for Bird People feathers. Always wanted wings like Bird People,” 

"Is that so...?" Melia mused, approaching Dry-Dry. She ran her fingers through her head wings. “Dry-Dry, was it?”

“YES. I Dry-Dry of THE Ponspectors. WHAT can Dry-Dry do for Bird Lady?”

She offered him several feathers in an open palm. “You were looking for feathers, yes? Here are some of mine, if you like.”

The Nopon’s eyes widened, taking the feathers and adding it to his hat. “FEATHERS! Now Dry-Dry real FRIEND of Bird People!”

“Dry-Dry! What you doing in Capital? Chief no ask you to look in Captial!” Tentoo said, voice tinted with disapproval. 

“Dry-Dry wander here by ACCIDENT. Got distracted by PONSPECT of feathers!”

“Of course Dry-Dry did…” Nene murmured, shaking her head. “Ponspectors nothing but a bunch of dunderheads…”

“Nopon girl take that back! Ponspectors a HONORABLE organization!”

“Right.” She stated blankly, turning to the group. “Friends of Nene… We finally in capital. What do now?”

“Let’s take a look around the area. See what we’re dealing with,” Melia said. Making sure to avoid the flying beasts above, they traveled around familiar landmarks on the ground floor. Most of the structures were still intact save the Eternal Way escalators, which had collapsed near where it met the next floor; she wished she could say the same about the flower gardens and grass. The sound of the dead plants crunching beneath her feet grated on her nerves uncomfortably. 

A scream tore out from above them, making her wings flay out slightly. Melia startled before rushing off towards the main entrance, the frantic footsteps of everyone else trailing behind her. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Something about that scream struck her as familiar. 

“What are those things?” She heard the boy yell. She gasped. Was that… Teelan? It couldn't be. He had been lost in the transition between the worlds. 

“Teelan!” She cried out when she got to the second floor. The child - Teelan - glanced back at her, eyes wide with fear. She could see why; there was some kind of rift hovering near the entrance to the palace itself. Underneath were several strange creatures. Humanoid in shape, their skin was the color of tar and almost looked to be made of tar save for the glowing blue crystal in the middle of their chests. She waved her staff at them, sending fire and water elementals flying at the creatures. They exploded on impact, sending steam rushing out in all directions. She ran towards Teelan, helping him up and dragging him towards the rest of the party. 

“Guldos…” Alvis murmured under his breath. She raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment on it further. 

“Is that really you, Teelan?”

“Miss Melia! Shulk!” he said, grinning. “What are you doing h-”

“Watch out!” Alvis called out; he quickly pulled Melia back when one of the Guldo’s attempted to swipe at her. Its claws scraped right through the concrete underneath; it must have used the steam as cover for its movements. It lifted its head, staring into his own eyes blankly. Alvis’ body did not react the same way Homs’ did when under duress but if it did, he would have had chills running down his spine. 

“Be careful!” Alvis yelled, voice straining. Guldo’s were known from drawing the elemental ether from an opponent and turning themselves into that elemental. He didn’t know how the creature would adapt once it realized that none of them held a particular elemental inside. And quite frankly, he didn’t want to know. As the steam started to clear out, he threw his claymore like a javelin, impaling the one closest to them. “These creatures are good at absorbing elemental ether! It will try to drain you of your energy if you let it!”

“You know of these creatures, Alvis?” Shulk asked, parrying an attack from one. Tei-Tei took advantage of the creature’s distraction and bashed it across the head in a mimicry of Shield Bash. Momentarily stunned, it could do nothing more but blindly swipe in the direction it last knew Shulk was in. The Homs used this to his advantage and charged up a Monado Purge; when the Guldo oriented itself, Shulk let the ether blast go. It bellowed and cried as it was overloaded, bloating and bubbling up as its body failed to contain all the extra energy. It imploded, guts and stray blobs of acidic ether scattering around it, sizzling once it hit the ground. 

“Melia! Try to overload its body with ether! Like we did that one time with the Telethia!”

“Got it!” She cried, ducking to avoid the swipe of one of its claws. She sent a few earth and electric elementals towards the few in front of her before searching for Teelan.

“Yes! These were some very early-” He started, dodging out of the way of an ether blast before swinging his sword around, hitting the Guldo nearest to him with the hilt. Placing a hand on its chest, he shot ether directly onto the pseudo-core crystal. It groaned, dissolving into the air before its body could hit the ground. “-experiments by Zanza.”

“Of course they are...” Shulk murmured. “Even after his death, his creations still haunt us.”

“You don’t know half of it…” Alvis whispered, rolling out of the way as several of Melia’s elementals flew past him, ice and air combining to freeze another one’s claws to its side. Kino stepped in front of it, rifle sparking with electricity. 

“You get face full of blamo-blam!” Kino cried, voice cracking as he sent the full brute force of the electrified bullet to the creature’s face. Its head swung back lazily, allowing Nene to slam the end of her weapon full force onto its neck, severing its head off. The body dissolved instantly into mist.

“Kino and Nene make best team!” Nene cried, smiling. Dekadeka and Tei-Tei went in for a joint attack on the remaining Guldo, weapons raised. Dekadeka attacked the creature's legs while Tei-Tei aimed for its core. This one was smarter; it dodged both, leaping back. Raising its hand, it got ready to swipe through the Nopon. In doing so, it left its chest wide open, allowing Kino’s bullet to strike it on its sensitive core. He cheered as it dissolved into mist. Nene glanced around the area, seeing that all of the strange zombie things had been defeated. Giggling, she flapped her wings and twirled in the air. “Yay! Children of Heropon Riki and friends defeat fog beasties.”

“I wouldn’t celebrate so quickly, Nene. We still have no clue where the Fog King may be,” Shulk said.

“What is that?!” Evelen cried, shouting in panic. Alvis glanced up to see the rift pulsating directly above them with an angry energy. They all jumped back, watching with horror as the orange glow grew brighter and brighter. Shulk, on instinct, tackled Teelan to the ground and rolled away. Not even a moment later, a beam shot out of the rift, cutting right through where Teelan had just been out towards the windows, shattering the fragile glass. Shulk’s right side burned from the residual heat radiating off the ground. Before anyone could react, a massive shape emerged, shaking the ground as it landed. Navy blue and black mist rolled off the surface of the creature, preventing anyone from discerning what it actually was.

“Well, I think we’ve found our Fog King,” Melia stated, summoning wind and ice. They would need the extra speed and resistance to ether if they were going to have any chance at taking it down. The Fog King took a step forward, ground cracking beneath its feet. “Teelan, retreat to the entrance!”

“But Miss Melia-”

“That’s an order, Teelan, not a request!” She pleaded, summoning more earth and electricity. She discharged it onto what appeared to be the creature's head. The attacks connected, bursting into a cloud of energy on impact. The creature stumbled back, joints audibly shifting and crackling. It held steady, though, rearing back with a roar. Navy blue orbs flew off its body, heading directly towards Teelan and her. She sent her remaining elementals towards the orb targeting Teelan, watching with relief as it exploded before turning back and casting Reflection to protect herself. The attack rebounded, hitting the Fog King on its side. It huffed, almost in amusement, before pressing forward in their direction. 

“I think a strategic retreat would be smart,” Shulk called, grabbing the stray Ponspectors who hadn’t already fled and rushed down towards the entrance. Kino and Nene followed, scrambling over the stray debris as they went. 

“That would be wise, your highness,” Alvis said, putting himself in between the Fog King and Melia. He turned his head to glance at her. “I will create a suitable distraction. Go.”

“Alvis-”

“Go.”

“I- Thank you.” She said, her wings extending out slightly in distress, before turning and running. Alvis turned back to face his nemesis. He dropped his sword to the ground. If he was right about the identity of the creature and the extra capabilities it possessed, then he would need a much stronger weapon. A deep red glow emanating from his chest, twin swords materialized in his hands. It was made of several jagged edges that were grey in color, lines of red ether energy pulsing along the center. He charged forward and twisted around, aiming for the hide of the Fog King. Something pushed back against him, the mist almost seeming to solidify into a barrier. He pushed forward more, piercing through and slashing into the skin. The beast roared at and focused its attention on Alvis, charging up another highly concentrated beam of ether. Before it could even aim, a blast of ice shot out from behind the creature, blasting away a portion of the black mist. It screeched in pain as its lower body was frozen to the ground in a rather thick block of ice.

“Melia? Was that you?” Shulk yelled, slowing to a stop right by the archway as he watched from below. 

“No! There isn’t enough ice ether in the area and I’m too exhausted to pull off something like that!” She called back, rushing to stand by him.

“What... is that?” Alvis asked, eyes wide as he watched as an unfamiliar Nopon and a strange Machina-like creature charge toward the Fog King. He tilted his head slightly, mouth hanging open slightly when he noticed the lively orange light connecting the two. Were they… driver and blade? Blinking, he took a deep breath and drew a significant amount of ether out of the surrounding area, letting it go in a blast of energy straight from his core crystal. Energetic red tendrils traveled eagerly towards their intended target, slicing through the rest of the misty barrier. The Fog King cried in pain, falling to the ground. Down, but not out. Taking advantage of its injury, he ran towards Shulk and the others.

“Let’s go! No time to explain!”

“Wait for Tora!” The strange Nopon cried as he chased after him. Shulk looked up long enough to see the strange Machina aim the sword (which, upon further reflection, looked like an off version of the Monado) and fire another beam of ice, freezing the rest of the Fog King’s body to the ground. She then retreated, only taking a couple of seconds to catch up with them. He turned his head back to Alcamoth’s entrance. They all stumbled into the teleporter and landed outside with a loud “Thunk!”

“Oww oww OWW…” Dry Dry said, rubbing his head. “That HURT!”

“Kino’s sentiments exactly…” The green Nopon murmured, removing the rubbles and grass from his fur. Shulk stood up shakily, groaning, before dusting himself off. He turned to the strangers.

“Thanks for saving our hides out there. We really would have been in trouble if it weren’t for you guys. I’m Shulk. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, Shulk. Tora’s name is Tora. And this is pride and joy, PoppiQTπ!”

“Nice to meet you, Shulk.” PoppiQTπ echoed, inclining her head forward respectfully. 

“I’ve never seen a Machina like you before,” Shulk said, scratching the back of his head. 

“Machina…? What is Machina? PoppiQTπ is Blade.” 

“Blade...? Like a weapon?"

“Friends don’t know what blades are? It common knowledge! Blades are lifeforms that are woken for core crystals. Must have aptitude. Tora no have aptitude so Tora make his own! Poppi is world’s first Artificial blade!” The Nopon exclaimed, wings flapping up and down frantically. “You travel with an Aegis, yes? He is blade too! Red thing on chest is core crystal!”

Everyone’s eyes landed on Alvis. Melia’s eyes narrowed. “An Aegis? Blades? What is going on here?” 

Oh dear. 

_═════════•°• New Colony 9, Remains of the Bionis •°•═════════_

"That should be everything. To double check, we have rations, water, weapons, armor, clothes, first aid equipment, and ourselves right?" Fiora asked, glancing at her brother.

"Check, check, check, check, and check." Dunban stated, smirking. She pouted.

"I didn't ask for your snark too, brother," 

Reyn kicked aside a stray piece of trash, murmuring angrily to himself. "I didn't ask to be yanked into this situation either…"

“Come on! We’ll get to explore a new land! It won't be that bad!" Sharla exclaimed, shoving him playfully. "Besides, weren't you the one complaining that you didn't get to go with them?"

“I mean, I was. I dunno… I just have this funny feeling in my stomach…" Reyn trailed off, scratching the back of his neck.

"You sure it wasn't all that fried Tirkin you shoved down your throat at lunch?" Dunban asked, smirking.

"Oi! I'll have you know that I've never felt this way after eating!" Reyn said indignantly. Everyone burst into laughter. Some things never change.

"You usually throw it up before it gets too bad…" Fiora murmured, shaking her head. "But I agree. It's not like Shulk or Melia to go back on their word. I think we should keep our guard up. Especially since we’re going to be looking for Kino and Nene in an area we’re not familiar with."

"Ditto," Dunban said. "From what Linada said, the enemies will be significantly tougher than anything around here. Even with a party of five, we should be prepared to be caught off guard."

"Don’t forget Oka! Oka coming too!" The Nopon exclaimed, standing by Riki. Dunban peered closely at her. Nopon usually had no need for clothing except during the coldest of the winter months, their fur and thick skin more than enough protection for any environmental hazards that they might come across. Oka was wearing a chest plate that covered the entirety of her torso, with lighter armor and material wrapping around the rest of her body. The little tufts of hair on her back were smoothed down and pushed away from her eyes. She wore gauntlet-like objects around her wings, presumably to protect the delicate joints. There was some type of dagger strapped to her back in a holster (although, given her short stature, it was probably more like a sword).

"Are you sure, Oka? We don't know what we’ll encounter out there," Sharla said. Oka nodded.

"Riki and Oka trained and battled together before marriage. One of many Nopon rite of passage. Oka stayed behind to watch over littlepon while Riki fought and get food for family," Oka explained. "Littlepon mostly grown now. Village will watch over them. Oka no want to stand by while Nene and Kino are in danger! Oka can fight just fine"

"Are you okay with this, Riki?" Dunban asked.

"Why would Riki not? It Oka's decision, not Riki's." The Nopon said. "Riki know from experience that Oka pack mean punch!"

Fiora chuckled. "Very well then. I think we've got our party together,"

“Shall we go to the Harvres then?” Sharla prompted, keeping a watchful eye over their group. “Linada said that the pilot is well versed for difficult weather and turbulence.”

“She managed to find a High Entian pilot?” Dunban asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“No. Most of the High Entia that could fly were located in the Capital after the new world was created or have been… Well. The pilot is a Homs, actually. All it took was a couple of shaky test runs before he flew it like a pro,” Sharla responded, a sad tinge to her voice. The fate of the High Entia is something that still weighed heavy on their hearts, even now. “I actually managed to sneak out and watch him maneuver it around one afternoon. Those things are usually really awkward but he made it look graceful and easy.” 

“Oh no, Reyn. It looks like you have some competition,” Fiora teased. Sharla spluttered indignantly. “She’s swooning over this mysterious new person.”

“I’m not- I’m not swooning!” She said, face turning red. She looked away when everyone started chuckling. “Anyways, I wasn’t able to catch his name but he has long wavy blonde hair and he’s wearing some sort of full body red armor. It’s not a style I’ve ever seen before.” 

“Huh. Interesting.” Dunban said. “Do you recognize him?”

“I don’t think so. He’s not from Colony 6, I assure you. I would have recognized his face immediately if he were.”

“I don’t think I know anyone of that description from Colony 9, either.” Reyn said. “Could he be from one of the lost colonies?”

“Possibly. I know there were a couple of settlements on the former Bionis Right Knee that we lost contact with a long time ago,” Dunban said. “It’s possible he could be from there.” 

“Isn’t it a bit odd that he wouldn’t explain himself? If he were from one of the lost colonies?” Reyn asked. 

“Not necessarily. Oka know from experience that Hom Hom process change in many ways,” Oka chipped in. “Nopon and High Entia same way.”

“True…” Fiora mused. “Well, there’s no use sitting here and bouncing ideas back and forth. Why don’t we go and introduce ourselves? Maybe we can find out after getting to know him a bit.”

“I think that’s a good idea. He should be waiting at the dock,” Sharla said. They slowly made their way to the Havres, waving a greeting to everyone in town. As they approached the docks, they saw Linada waiting there to greet them.

“You’re all here. That’s good to see,” she said. “You can put your belongings into the compartment on the bottom. I assure you that they will stay safe.”

“Why would we ever doubt you? You’ve been nothing but a blessing. We Homs owe you all quite a lot,” Dunban remarked. 

“We Machina owe you as well. You offered up space in your colony, in your homes, for us to live in without demanding anything in return. That is not something we will forget,” Linada remarked. “The trip to the Shoulder will take several days. I hope you have brought sufficient amounts of food and water.”

“Of course. Thank you for the heads up,” Fiora said. Linada nodded. 

“Please take care of yourselves. This journey will not be easy and there is no telling what hardships you will encounter.” She warned before her gaze softened. “Don’t worry about affairs here. I will make sure the people of the colony are taken care of.”

“Thanks, Linada. I’ll make sure we stay out of trouble,” Reyn said, hitting his fist against the palm of his hand. A curious look passed on the face of the Machina.

“Right then. Well, I’ll leave you to it.” She said, before leaving them. Dunban, Riki, Oka, and Fiora boarded the ship while Reyn and Sharla started storing their stuff below. The inside was quite spacious, much to the surprise of Dunban; from the outside, it looked like they would have been cramped inside with very little room to move around. He didn’t see the pilot in the cockpit so he decided to go above deck, Fiora following. A Homs matching the description Sharla had provided was leaning against the rails, gazing at the waves hitting the edges of the Colony, almost with… melancholy? He wasn’t quite sure.

“You must be the pilot Linada was talking about. I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. What’s your name?” Dunban asked, approaching slowly. The Homs shrugged, gaze fixed out on the sky above. “I’m Dunban and this is Fiora.”

“...You can call me Mik.” He said after a while, voice deep and lush with a warm accent Dunban had never heard before. “It’s a pleasure to meet you finally, Dunban and Fiora. I’ve heard quite a lot about you and your exploits.”

Dunban chuckled, leaning onto one hip. “That’s fair. From where do you hail? I don’t think I’ve heard that accent anywhere I’ve been.” 

A harsh, pained, airy laugh. “A place that doesn’t exist anymore.”

“I see,” Fiora said, concern shining in her eyes as she walked near the stranger. “Well, if there’s anything that we can do for you, let us know. From what Linada said, the turbulence can get really rough to handle at times.” 

“It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before, Fiora. Thank you for the concern, though,” Mik replied. “Honestly, it’s a walk in the park compared to what I’ve been through.”

“Oh?” She asked, glancing at him slyly in an attempt to get him to open up.

“Let’s just say it’s a very, very long story,” Mik replied, looking away. Dunban couldn’t help but feel that there was a lot that wasn’t being said. 

_═════════•°• Auresco, Torna, Alrest •°•═════════_

Bright, warm, brimming with life, the almost deafening sound of passerby chatting and traveling about. The capital was exactly as Jin remembered it. If he listened closely enough, he could pick out specific conversations. A little girl asking for some smoked meat. A teenage boy talking longingly about some swords for sale. A soldier speaking fondly of his girlfriend living in Leftheria. He saw familiar faces, too. Faces that he never thought he would ever see again in the flesh. Onyx, Chalcedony, Carnelian, Palva, _Wayton_. And countless others. He’s surprised he actually remembered their names; it’s been so long since he’s been home. 

He let out a breath, leaning back against the wall. He would love to stay longer and bask in the ambiance but he now had tasks to accomplish. And it would be no easy feat to do alone. He would preserve, though. He always did. 

First and foremost, he was going to have to track down Malos. The one he had traveled with for over five hundred years. After that, he was going to have to find Mythra from the present (from the future?). According to Ontos, there were two of each type of core active. This was both a good thing and a bad thing; with the Mythra from his time here as well, it would mean the chances at figuring out who was stopping Ontos were greater. On the other hand, it was going to take one hell of an explanation to get her on their side, especially if she wasn’t alone. While they had come to somewhat of a truce in the old world, there was no telling how she would react to seeing him and Malos alive. 

Where they went from there would depend upon what the Aegis’ could do. He was hoping it would be a one and done type of ordeal. However, he knew better than to hold out hope. 

“Hello there,” A voice said, interrupting his thoughts. “I find it rather strange to see you here, Jin.”

“Aegaeon.” Jin stated, surprise perfectly masked behind centuries of practice. It was all too easy to fall back on old habits. He pointedly avoided looking in the blade’s direction. “What brings you to the capital? I did not realize Emperor Hugo is in the area.”

“I could say the same, considering you’re supposed to be dead.” Aegaeon remarked wryly, sitting down next to him. 

“...Huh?” Jin asked, feigning innocence, slightly taken aback by the frank comments. 

“Don’t be coy with me; your core crystal is showing,” The blade remarked, gesturing to his forehead. Jin’s hand immediately flew to his core, a soft red glow pulsing with every beat of his heart. (His flesh eater status had been quite a surprise considering he was revived; Ontos, however, had said it was just easier to keep him that way. Lora’s genetic code had been so intertwined with his own that it was impossible to separate them without lasting consequences.)

Jin was quiet for a moment, contemplating his next statement. “...I take it you’re here alone, then?”

“Yes,” Aegaeon said. An awkward silence fell on them. “... How have you been faring?”

“Well,” He replied honestly. 

“I see. What are you planning to do now?” 

“...What makes you think I’m planning to do anything?” Jin asked, looking at his former companion for the first time. 

“Let’s just say you’re not the only one here from the future. And I don’t think that’s entirely a coincidence,” the water blade remarked, sighing. “From what I understand, you caused a lot of grief for my… other self and his driver. I need to make sure that won’t continue.”

Jin’s eyes widened slightly, staring directed at Aegaeon. If Morag was here, did that mean Rex’s entire group was too? “You can’t seriously mean… that the Special Inquisitor is here?”

“Yes. A couple of weeks ago, she landed inside Hugo’s bedroom around midnight seemingly from nowhere. Her Brighid crashed into the door and set it on fire,” Aegaeon remarked dryly, a small hint of a smile on his face. “I didn't quite believe my own eyes until the smell of smoke hit my nose.”

“...I see.” Jin remarked, closing his eyes. “...Does that mean her traveling companions are here as well?”

“Yes. Rex, Nia, and their blades are currently at Turqos Plateau, last time I checked. Zeke is in Aletta with the Militia. Morag should still be resting in the warship with Brighid and myself. Er.. Her Brighid and her… my other self.” He remarked, sighing exasperatedly. “This is going to get confusing rather quickly.” 

Jin couldn’t stop a chuckle from escaping his lips. “Yes, it will. What of Addam and everyone else?”

“On their way from Gormott, currently. There are some nasty storms on the horizon so they might be delayed, even if they travel on the warship.”

“Storms? I don’t remember any storms. Nothing that was worse than a heavy rain,” Jin said. 

“I was hoping you would know more. They started appearing a little over a month ago; violent winds, extremely heavy rain, destructive lightning that sets everything on fire. You name it and it’s probably happened. No one has been able to identify a cause.”

“Unpredictable huh…?” Jin murmured, drumming his fingers on his thigh. “Maybe it has to do with the universes combining?”

Aegaeon’s eyes widened slightly. “Universes combining? What do you mean?”

“That’s also a bit of a long story. One I would rather save until I find Pneuma and Logos. Mythra and Malos, as we know them,” Jin said. 

“You’re going to go after Malos? Alone?” Aegaeon asked. Jin stood up and dusted himself off. 

“Not this time’s Malos. There aren’t just two of Mythra now. The Malos from the future survived as well,” Jin said, walking off. “I need to find him and figure out what we’re going to do.”

“How do you know that?” Aegaeon asked. “Wait, you knew the future Mythra was already here. How?”

“I just know. Take care, Aegaeon. I fear we’ve gotten ourselves tangled up in quite a mess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was not intending for the last two sections to be so comically short compared to the first one. I just was not expecting to go from like 2100 words to over 5000 just because of dialogue but it happened anyways.
> 
> So after three playing finals, one conducting final, four written finals, one rough draft essay that will be a final eventually, and a bunch of other miscellaneous tasks for school, I am on break. And I’ve actually gotten some sleep. And I’m so excited to be working on this and NG+. Y’all. I hope y’all are ready for what’s coming. Chapter 8 is going to change *everything*.
> 
> (BTW, if I gave you a chapter number past Chapter 8, I would disregard it. Honestly, I don't know how I thought I was going to cram so much information into only 15 chapters and 3 epilogues. Oops).
> 
> I should mention that the whole "We can just straight up mine fully complete gems" will not be a thing in this story. I understand why it was a thing in regular future connected but I feel it's kinda stupid. So it's just not going to exist.


	7. "There is no success without hardship"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Addam's siblings have a chat about the crown prince and his son, Zeke finally gets to meet his idol, a Telethia begins a long journey, and Rex gets lost in a storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah double upload! Was kinda wanting to not do a double upload with these specific chapters because the cliffhanger at the end is delicious buttttt we can't have all the things that we want, can we?
> 
> Title is from Sophocles apparently. 
> 
> My Jams: The Past Revealed (XC2), Kingdom of Torna (Day, XC2), With People and Darkness (XC2)
> 
> NGL, tho. I was totally vibing to the 9th palace theme from P5R while editing this.

_ ═════════•°• Auresco, Torna, Alrest •°•═════════ _

__

A resounding slam echoed throughout the palace, glass decorations erratically rattling on the walls. Zetter stormed out of the throne room and into the halls, footfalls heavy with his lips upturned into a sneer, nostrils flaring in and out with every short breath. 

“Out of everyone that’s eligible, Brother continues to believe in that bastard?” He bit out, clenching his fist. “Does he have no honor? No respect for the traditions of our land? Have I not proved myself time and time again to be worthy?”

He eyed a servant standing in the middle of the hallway, staring wide eyed at him. “You! What are you doing? Stop staring and go back to your duties!”

With a strangled yelp, the servant disappeared into a free room. Zetter grumbled to himself, heading to his personal quarters. Unbeknownst to him, a lone figure stood behind a pillar, completely out of sight, watching him as he walked past. She sighed, closing her eyes. It was already getting worse.

“Father brought up the succession again, didn’t he?” A voice asked from behind her. She jumped up slightly, relaxing when she saw the familiar face of her brother. 

“Albert!” she hissed, glancing around. She lowered her voice, the sound slightly below a whisper. “We should take this conversation elsewhere. No doubt his little display will attract curious ears.”

“I agree,” he said. Quietly, they walked to their private chambers, keeping a careful eye out for any servants that may be lurking about. They breathed a sigh of relief once they were safely behind closed doors. 

“Father is getting rather insistent that Addam become the crown prince, isn’t he?” Albert commented. She grimaced.

“Indeed. I haven’t seen Zetter quite so angry in a long time,” she said. “It’s getting to the point that no one wants to even be in the same room as him. Not that he was the best of company to begin with.” 

He shook his head, frowning. “Leave it to the bastard to win the favor of the Khan. When did the old man even find the time to travel to Leftheria?”

“Who knows. While I’m not exactly the youngest, I haven’t been involved in the internal politics of the Kingdom for as long as you have,” she said. “Since it’s ‘unlady like’ to do anything but be a housewife.”

“I know. I’m sorry, Amira,” He said. “I wish there was something I could do about that. You would make a far better leader than any of us combined in the end. Even Addam, as good as he is.”

“Really now? You just said two contradicting statements.”

“Yes. Addam may have us beat when it comes to winning the favor of the people but he does not want to rule. Not in the slightest. That would doom him in the end,” He said, gazing at a painting. “You’ve noticed it too, right?”

“Of course I’ve noticed it. I think that’s part of the reason Zetter is so violently angry. Winning the favor of our father is no easy feat and Addam has all but stated outright that he doesn’t want anything to do with the throne,” Amira said, sinking into a seat. “Doesn’t help that he’s fourth in line so he should have no chance at ever surpassing Zetter.”

“I don’t blame Father. Zetter would ultimately only do harm to Torna. He would only use the government and its people for his own gain,” Albert remarked. “I wonder what changed. He didn’t used to be this way.”

“Really? I would never know,” Amira said. 

“Yes. He was a lot nicer. More open, if a bit awkward. A little like Addam was at the beginning,” He hummed, raising a hand to his chin. She watched as his contemplative look shifted to be more sullen. “Ah, yes. How could I forget? He changed when Zach was banished from the Kingdom.”

“Zach…?”

“Zachary Origo, formerly third in line to the throne. You never met him. He was caught selling government secrets to Indol and found guilty. He was either to be executed or to be banished. The courts took pity on him, given how young he was, and banished him,” Albert said. 

“I seem to remember something about a whistleblower. Why would that make Zetter, I don’t know, meaner?”

“He’s also Zetter’s biological son.”

“What?! Zetter had a son?”

“Illegitimate, like Addam. A result of a tryst with a servant girl when he was a teen. Regardless, Zetter loved Zach unconditionally. He was a bit of an odd kid but undoubtedly passionate and caring. Never really spent time in the capital for any length of time. He was set up to be the new Lord of Lasaria but…”

Amira leaned forward. “Wait. I’m older than you and I’ve never heard of him. How do you know of him? You think something like that would be the talk of the people.”

“Illegitimate children aren’t usually talked about much. Addam only became well known for his efforts in helping the people of Leftheria after that deadly plague that went through about a decade or so ago,” Albert said. “I kind of knew Zach. He was a sort of younger brother to me. I was very shocked when I heard the news of the banishment; it didn’t seem right. He didn’t strike me as that type of person.”

“Didn’t…? You used the past tense.”

“I don’t know, honestly. It’s been years since all of it happened and I haven’t stepped foot off Tornan soil since.”

“I know it’s not my place to ask but… is there any chance he could be innocent? It’s not like our courts really have the best track record...”

“It’s possible.” He said, sighing. “But I don’t have any evidence to argue against the ruling. Even if I did, trying to get the original ruling overturned will not be easy.”

“Ah,” she said. “...I’m sorry that happened to you. Was it ever revealed how he was caught? How he got the secrets in the first place? Information secret enough for such a punishment would only be known by the most important government officials.”

“Anything’s possible at this point. I wasn’t allowed to have any part in the proceedings, you see. I do know it’s the one of the reasons relations between us and Indol are so strained right now,” 

“Indol? But it happened years ago...” Amira murmured. "I could understand Coeia given how poorly they're reacting to everything but Indol? Our primary trade partner that gives us the industrial materials for, well, pretty much everything? And aren’t they cooperating fully in the fight against Malos?"

"Only in the fight against Malos. And that's because we threatened sanctions if they didn't," he replied. "Would you like some tea, by the way? I’m positively parched after spending all day meeting with foreign officials."

"Yes please," Amira said. "The last thing we need right now is tension with Indol. They're emerging quite quickly as a major world power."

"I agree. I'm not as concerned about the current Praetor as I am with his court of advisors. Specifically Questor Amalthus."

Amira kicked her feet up on the table, relaxing. "That's Malos' driver, yes?"

He frowned. "I really wish you wouldn't do that. But yes. A lot of people are rightfully concerned about Malos' capacity for destruction." Sighing, he set a cup of tea in front of Amira. "However, what a lot of people fail to realize is how impactful a blade's first driver is on their concepts of good and evil."

Albert took a sip, glancing out the window overseeing the capital. "I can't help but wonder how much of Malos' tendencies are his own and how much are his driver's."

_ ═════════•°• Militia Camp, Torna, Alrest •°•═════════ _

A knock on the door roused Aegaeon out of his sleep. He glanced at Brighid for permission. Upon receiving a nod, he stumbled slightly as he stood up. He shook his head and moved towards the door, cracking it open to see who was outside. 

“Oh, hello Emp- Hugo.”

“May I come in?”

“Of course.” Aegaeon stepped aside to allow Hugo entry. The Emperor approached Morag’s bedside, sitting on the edge.

“How are you feeling?” He asked, concern shining in his eyes. Morag sat up with the help of Brighid, skin still slightly pasty.

“Decent. Certainly better than a couple of days ago. How much further do we have to travel?” She asked.

“We’re here, actually. We made really good time,” Hugo said. “I’ll have the medicine to you as soon as possible. It’s not too far out from the dock.”

“You aren’t going to Mor Ardain right away?”

“No. I suspect that I will be fighting Addam on this but I believe my time will be better served traveling with him. Especially since I have a feeling that I’m going to be running into some of your friends sooner rather than later.”

“Try to keep an open mind if it just so happens to be Zeke,” She murmured, shaking her head. He laughed.

“I highly doubt he’ll be that bad,” He replied cheerfully. “Honestly, based on the stories that you told me, I can’t wait to meet all of them.”

“You would be surprised,” She said, looking away. “Thank you. For everything. You've gone out of the way for a near stranger.”

“Of course.” Hugo said. “We’re essentially family, yes?”

Morag chuckled, shaking her head. “I suppose we are, in a strange way. Shouldn’t you be heading out soon?”

“Yes. Try to relax and let your body heal, alright?” Hugo said, leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. Brighid (his Brighid, that is. They would have to figure out what to do about the duplicate names eventually) met him outside the door. Together, they walked towards the entrance to the ship and into the camp. They found Addam standing next to the tents with Lora, Jin, and Haze.

“Hugo! Aren’t you going back to Mor Ardain?” Lora asked. He shook his head. 

“I have already sent word to my brother about the happenings in Gormott. There is nothing that requires my presence specifically. I would rather spend my time helping you with this fight.” 

“Hugo…” Addam trailed off, shaking his head. “Well, I can see that nothing I say will convince you otherwise.”

“Trust me; I already tried,” Brighid murmured, frowning. Hugo attempted to punch her on the shoulder; she merely stepped out of the way. 

“I’ve never been to Aletta before,” Lora murmured. “It’s so beautiful!”

“Indeed. It’s nice to be home!” Addam said, stretching. He peered around. “I wonder what everyone has been up to. Where is he…? Ah. There he is. Noowl!”

The boy in question turned his around, face lighting up when he saw who called him. “Master Addam! You’re back early!”

“It’s never too early for me to be back home. How have things been?” He asked, peering curiously at the trio sitting on the edge of the cliff. “Are those some new additions to the camp, I see?”

“Yes. Zeke and his blades. He’s been a real good help around camp. Keeps us stocked up on food, keeps the wildlife away from camp, and all that. Hell, he even keeps the peace when the usual troublemakers get rowdy,” He explained. “They’re a bit eccentric but they’re good people. And carrying a lot of baggage, if I had to guess.” 

“What makes you say that?” Addam asked. 

“We know next to nothing about where he’s from or who he is. His accent is Tornan but also not really Tornan at the same time. It sounds vaguely like someone from the Capital but it almost seems to have… Indoline influences as well? I don’t really know.” Noowl explained. “He keeps to himself, mostly. He checks up on everyone daily and greets us all by name. But he spends a lot of time with his blades or by himself, gazing at the Cloud Sea. He seems almost… sad. Reminds me of the look I see on Mrs. Alisha’s face sometimes.”

“Like he’s missing someone,” Addam realized with a grim realization.

“Yeah! But they’re really nice. Really powerful, too,” Noowl said. “Almost as powerful as you!”

“Oh really?” Addam questioned, grinning. “Now this I have to see for myself.”

“Why don’t we go and introduce ourselves, then?” Lora asked. “I have to admit that I’m interested in learning more about those blades of his. They look really cool!”

“That’s fine by me. It almost feels like I’m being drawn to him, to be honest,” Hugo said, chuckling. Brighid scoffed, shaking her head. 

“I agree,” Haze said. Jin nodded. “Besides, we’ll be staying here for tonight. Might as well say hello to be nice.”

As they approached, Lora was able to pick up more details about the trio. The blade on the right was perhaps the oddest of the three; she had never seen a blade with light bulbs as a part of their body. The one on the left almost seemed to have wings extending out of his back that were made of ice. The ether lines running throughout his body and the reflective nature of his armor made a beautiful display of color. She couldn’t tell much about Zeke himself.

“Hello there,” Addam called cheerfully. The man startled, nearly launching himself into the Cloud Sea. Thankfully, his blades had the foresight to grab him by the arms, preventing him from falling. Clearing his throat, the man stood up and turned to face who had greeted him. He froze, an emotion that Addam couldn’t quite identify filtering through his eyes, before an air of confidence and calm overtook him. The blade to his right dramatically cleared her throat, punching him on the shoulder. 

“Erm… Hello, Prince Addam. I’m Zeke. Zeke v- The Zekenator! These are my blades, Pandoria and Godfrey. Pleased to meet you!” Zeke said, grin almost comically wide.

“Zeke von….?” he pressed, gazing hopefully. Zeke sighed, face falling ever so slightly.

“It doesn’t matter. Where I’m from isn’t around anymore, if you catch my drift,” Zeke said sullenly, looking away. 

“Ah. A victim of the Aegis’ destruction?”

“You could say that,” 

“I’m sorry to hear that. I’m Emperor Hugo, but please, call me Hugo,” he greeted, eyes glinting with fascination. 

“Nice to meet you as well, Emp- Hugo.” He turned to the lady, startling once his eyes landed on Jin. “And who might you be?”

“I’m Lora. This is Jin and Haze. Pleased to meet you,” she said, grinning. “We’ve heard quite a lot about you.”

“Have you now? All good things, I hope.”

“There’s been nothing bad, I assure you. I’ve heard from Noowl that you’ve really helped out around here. My sincerest thanks. It takes a lot of effort to keep the Militia running without a hitch,”

Zeke waved a hand in front of his face. “No need for flattery. I’m just doing what I do best,”

“How long have you had your blades? They seem really close to you,” Lora asked. 

“Err…. How long has it been Pandy?” Zeke asked. The blade in question sighed. 

“You’re hopeless, my- Driver,” She said. 

“Master Addam! Mrs. Alisha wants to see you!” Noowl called from afar. 

“Tell her to wait just a moment!” Addam called back. “It was nice meeting you, Zeke. But there’s something that we need to do.”

“To collect the medicine, right?” Haze asked. 

“Exactly,” Addam said. 

“Go ahead. There’s something I wish to discuss with Zeke briefly,” Hugo said, glancing back at the blade eater. Addam raised an eyebrow but decided not to press it. 

“Very well then. We’ll go and collect the medicine you need,” He said, Lora trailing after him. Zeke swallowed heavily as the Emperor turned to greet him, eye filled with mirth.

“Morag and her blades are on the warship if you wish to visit them.”

Zeke tilted his head to the side. “I see. So that’s where she ended up…”

“You’re not going to try and deny it?” Hugo asked. He shook his head.

“You obviously know a lot more than you should. There’s no point,” He said. “One thing that hasn't changed in five hundred years is Mor Ardain’s ruthlessness. We were lucky to have the Special Inquisitor of our time with us on our travels.”

“Mor Ardain nor I mean you any harm, Zeke,” Hugo said. “You have my word.”

“Time will tell if you honor it,” He replied. “How is she doing?”

“Much better as of late. She got deathly sick a couple of days after she got here. It makes sense; her immune system wouldn’t be accustomed to any of the diseases here,” Hugo explained. “It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume you’ve been in a similar state?”

“Not at all,” Zeke replied. “Luckily, Addam grows whatever that medicine is called-”

“Pancellin,” Godfrey supplied offhandedly. 

“-Right, that stuff. I’ve been up and at it ever since.”

“Already on a first name basis?”

“He’s like my great great great great grand uncle,” Zeke replied. “We’re basically family.”

Brighid scoffed while Hugo erupted into genuine laughter, eyes crinkling. “I see,” 

“What about Tora? You know where he is?”

“Unfortunately, no. I can say with relative certainty that he’s not in Mor Ardain or Gormott. Unless he’s really good at staying hidden.”

“i doubt it. He’s not the most subtle of people, I will admit,” Godfrey said. 

“And his blade would stand out, from what I understand,” Hugo said.

“Sooooo… I know you just said that you mean no harm to us,” Pandoria said, kicking at the ground. “Buuuttt is there some reason you sent Aegaeon to track us?

“Pandy…!” Zeke hissed. 

“No. It’s alright. That’s a fair question. I sent him after you as a precaution. And also to make sure you didn’t get into trouble,” Hugo explained. “You are in a foreign country hundreds of years before your time. Despite your best efforts to blend in, you still manage to stick out.”

“How so?” 

“Notice how we are having no trouble understanding each other. You would think that we would, given that five hundred years is more than enough time for languages to adapt and shift into completely new ones,” Hugo said. “Have you noticed that, when you speak, your mouth does not match what you’re saying?” 

“I… can’t say that I have,” Zeke remarked. It would certainly explain the weird stares he got sometimes when he spoke. 

"I've noticed it with Morag and now you. I assume it will be much the same with your friends as well." Hugo said. 

“What’s your point in bringing this up?” Godfrey asked. Hugo chuckled sheepishly. 

“No particular reason. I just wanted you to be aware,” he said. “ I do hope we can get along. I don’t think it’s an accident that you all are here, after all.”

_ ═════════•°• Bionis Shoulder •°•═════════ _

The lock on the gate shattered easily from a quick swipe of his dagger. Gael'gar scoffed, wondering how he even saw any worth in the Imperial Family. It wasn’t that hard to procure materials to sufficiently secure a place but they choose to lock it behind a measly combination lock? That amateurs could pick with simple materials? Pathetic. Drawing a couple of vials of blood, he kicked Tyrea’s limp body to the side. He would come back and dispose of the trash later. Lips pursing, he ventured into the small hut, knocking over a stray chair as he rummaged around. 

“Now where is that research…?” He asked himself, noticing the stacks of paper on the table. Once stack contained notes on the state of Capital and the citizens of Gran Dell. He threw them in the general direction of the trash can. Useless garbage. He sifted through the papers some more. 

A personal diary entry. Absolutely worthless. Locations of the High Entian Seals. Somewhat useful but not what he was looking for. A copy of  _ Bionis Shoulder: A History.  _ Ha. As if the stories of the Shoulder weren’t told to them repeatedly as children. A staff. He picked it up momentarily before setting it back down. He had been trained in spell casting but he never found any practical reason to use it. Besides, his swords and daggers were more than enough. He hit the table with his fist, knocking over neatly stacked pens and papers. 

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed a leather bound notebook fall innocently to the edge of the table, dislodged from the vibrations of the table. Curiously, he picked it up. The edges were worn with frequent use, several stains adorning the front. He flipped it open to a random page, his wings perking up some. Some of the text was partially illegible but one section stood out to him:

_ If our theory regarding the existence of a specific set of genes that is responsible for the transformation into Telethia is true, then would it be possible to remove them artificially? Such attempts have proven successful before with other defects plaguing our species.  _

_ However, some of those experiments ultimately ended in disaster for the patient. Even now, the lack of information about our own bodies, especially those of mixed blood, is staggering...  _

"Aha. Here we are. This is exactly what I need. Heh. The kid’s actually onto something. Too bad he won’t live long enough to see it be worth it."

Grinning, he kicked over a spare canister of kerosene, the foul smelling liquid covering the ground. He lit a match and threw it behind him as he walked out, inhaling the delicious scent of burning fuel. He meandered down the path, sneering at Tyrea who still lay prone on the ground, before making the long trek to the Forbidden Hushland, right next to Zekr Marga Quarry. He paged through the research notes, commiting to memory some of the more interesting passages. It wasn't complete, obviously. But there were some things worth looking into and experimenting with. Perhaps his friends across the sea would be of some help; he knew they were well versed in mapping and understanding creature's genomes.

Standing outside the Quarry, he whistled a low tune, too low to be heard by the ears of Homs. A Sani Telethia emerged from the clouds below, flying up to meet him. He offered it several high quality Wind Ether crystals. It gratefully accepted, absorbing them into its body. 

“Please take this. You know who to deliver it to, don’t you?” He said, offering up the book and the vials of blood to the creature. It formed part of its body around the objects before giving an affirmative roar, flying off into the distance. 

It was only a matter of time now before he had the power to deal with the rest of the pests that called themselves people.

  
  


_ ═════════•°• Aletta Region, Torna, Alrest •°•═════════ _

Even the most carefully laid plans could crumble beneath a single, unaccounted factor. In this case, it was Minoth.

“Shit! I wasn’t expecting to see him here,” Pyra hissed, jumping to save the flesh eater from trouble. It was the same enemy Mythra had encountered before; a Slithe Jargon. She slashed across the beast’s face, leaving an opening for Crossette to fire off her level three special. She winced in sympathy as the spiked Bitball hit the creature square on its back leg, toppling it momentarily.

“If only we had someone who could launch it...!” She murmured, blocking a swipe from its claws. 

“Yeah. I’m really missing Adenine right now,” Nia said, swiping awkwardly with the Inferno Sword. She had made the right call getting the shorter sword for the flesh eater but it wasn’t weighted exactly like her blade weapon. 

“Watch out!” Minoth called. She barely leapt out of the way, the Jargon landing with a loud thud. The dark blade slid under the beast, shooting at its soft underbelly. It cried in pain, hunching over, leaving an opening for Roc and Dromarch to finish it off. It fell to the ground with a pained cry.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Minoth offered a hand to the pink haired girl from earlier. She took it, pulling herself onto her feet and dusting herself off. He couldn’t quite explain why but there was something… off about her demeanor. She looked innocent enough but he couldn’t help but feel that there was something lurking behind those pink eyes. It made the hair on the back of his neck stiff. He would be willing to write it off as just his wariness of strangers since he liked to keep to himself. However… she knew his name.

There was one problem with that.

He had never seen her before in his entire life.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen any of you around before. What are your names?” He asked.

“I’m Pyra. These are my friends, Rex and Nia, and their blades, Crossette, Roc, and Dromarch.” She introduced, hands demurely resting in front of her body. His eye twitched slightly. Did she think of him as stupid? There’s no way a human would be anywhere near her strength. And there was no denying the power that radiated off her that screamed “I’m a blade.” Or the girl called Nia, for that matter. Maybe he was the only one who could sense it; Flesh Eaters had enhanced senses, especially when it came to ether.

...Although, their lies would make sense if they were both flesh eaters too. He was used to the vitriol and hate that came toward his kind but that didn't mean everyone was.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Minoth. From where do you come from?"

“We grew up together in Leftheria,” Rex supplied.

“Huh. And what part of Leftheria are you from?” Minoth asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. Rex swallowed heavily. He couldn’t say Fonsett. Fonsett didn’t exist. 

“I… errr…” Rex started. They hadn’t thought to come up with a backstory for themselves. To be fair, they hadn’t expected to run into anyone this early either.

“We’re from Finwick. We just got done visiting some of Nia’s relatives in the capital and are on our way to visit a friend in the Militia before we return home,” Pyra said. “My apologies; none of us are really good around strangers.”

“Right.” Minoth stated, shaking his head. He didn’t believe her one bit. But their story was plausible and it would appear rude and condescending if he didn’t take them at their word. He would keep an eye on them for now and ask Addam about what he thought about them later. “Well, I’m on my way to visit Prince Addam. Why don’t we travel together? There’s safety in numbers, after all.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me. What do you think, Dromarch? Crossette?” Nia asked her blades. 

“There is no denying that we will be much safer, especially after Sir Minoth proved his prowess in battle,” Dromarch said. 

“I will never turn down the opportunity for more friends!”

“I’m okay with it,” Roc supplied. “Rex?”

“Sounds good to me!” He said, plastering his biggest grin on his face.

“Sir Minoth?” He echoed. Nia snickered.

“He does that to everyone. Still haven’t been able to get him to just call me Nia.”

“My lady…”

“See?” She said, gesturing towards her blade. Minoth chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. They meandered around the twists and turns of the area, the sun filtering in and out of view.

“Where did you find Dromarch? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a blade like that before,” Minoth commented. 

“It’s… He was my father's blade before he…” Nia trailed off, ears plastered against her head. Minoth tipped his head in acknowledgement.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” He said. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable."

“It’s alright. I’ve had time to accept everything,” Nia said, swiping hand in front of her face. “I’m not sure where he got Dromarch, either. I’ve never seen that weapon class before. Not even really sure how he uses it, to be honest.”

“I manage just fine, my lady,” The tiger remarked. 

“Neither have I,” Minoth mused. “I heard you mention another name? Adenine, was it?”

“Yeah. She’s my other blade. She’s a little… flighty, if you catch my drift. We lost track of her back in the capital,” Nia lied, keeping her face neutral. “She’ll find her way back to me eventually.”

“You would leave her alone like that?”

“Adenine really likes books, especially anything to do with ancient history,” Rex supplied. “If there’s even a chance that she can get her hands on a good book, she’ll take it. This isn’t the first time she’s run off by herself and it won’t be the last.”

“I see. She must be spending a lot of time around Yrissa’s shop, then,” He said. A twig snapped loudly behind them. He glanced back but didn’t see anything. “Say, what did she look like? I may have seen her when I was in the capital.”   


“Er… There’s really no way to really describe her,” Pyra said. “The most striking thing about her is that her torso isn’t fully…. Filled in, I guess, and that she has books around her wrists.”

Definitely a rare blade. What were the odds of a strange group of people having solely rare blades? “I definitely didn’t see anyone like that around. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” Nia said. She gestured in front of them. “We should be worrying about the giant section of the bridge that’s missing, however.”

“That looks like so much fun to cross!” Crossette exclaimed. 

Rex narrowed his eyes slightly. “Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. Roc?”

“On it!” The blade said, flying down slightly. Linking his weapons together, he spun them around, creating a column of wind extending all the way to the ground. Rex backed up a little before rushing forward and jumping. The wind caught him, his body bouncing up and down through the vortex.

“Jump!” Rex called as he landed safely on the ground below. Minoth whistled. The kid had a lot of trust in his blade. One by one, they jumped in, landing safely onto solid ground. He glanced up when he landed, lips falling into a frown at the darkening skies. Lightning flashed ominously as thunder crackled, the entire horizon tinted in a weird shade of green. The howling of the wind echoed within the slightly enclosed space, chilling Minoth to the bone. 

“What the hell…?” Minoth murmured. “Where did this come from?”

“I have no idea. But I have a bad feeling about it,” Pyra said, sticking close to Rex. Nia’s ears fluttered slightly.

“Tell me about it…” Dromarch murmured, staring up into the sky.

“There’s a cave not too far from here that we can take shelter in,” Minoth said. “We need to wait out the storm.” 

They didn’t take more than a couple of steps before rain started to pour on them. The sheets rapidly gained in intensity, becoming so thick that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. Rex broke out into a run, blindly charging forward, trying desperately not to get too wet. He had just recovered from sickness; he didn’t want to get sick again. He jumped to the left, foreseeing a blast of ether. 

“What the hell…?” Who’s there?” He called, wet bangs falling in front of his face. He could hear the frantic shouts of his friends calling his name but he couldn’t tell from what direction the sounds were coming from. He glanced up, all of the hairs of the back of his neck sticking straight up. He screamed as he was launched into the air before he fell. He kept falling and falling and falling with no end in sight, watching the blurry image of the Tornan titan slowly get further and further away. 

“REX!!!!” Pyra screamed, bursting out into a bright, golden light. Minoth shielded his eyes, blinded. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed a lone figure jump after the boy, a flash of silver in the black of the storm. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are ramping up.... I wonder what's going to happen?


	8. “The only way to know how long you are lost in the darkness is to be saved from it.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lone figure walks forward, damned by the world and damned by themself. Another lays defeated, beaten to death by the very world they fought to save. Their paths, after much twisting and winding, have merged together as one.
> 
> OR 
> 
> A target is placed upon the back of the Master Driver. Rex’s charisma finally manages to attract the most stubborn blade of them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
> 
> My jams: A Faint Hope (XC2), Elysium in the Dream (XC2), Crossing Swords (XC2), Elysium in the Blue Sky (XC2)
> 
> Also! There's mild suicidal ideation in this chapter on Rex's part. It's not too explicit since I have to avoid triggering myself but it's there! It starts after "... he felt himself once again being dragged away." and ends before "You're not going to die, Rex. Not here and not now,"

_═════════•°• :Gormott, Alrest: •°•═════════_

“The boy will do just fine. I was hoping to get that mutt from Torna but a pure Leftherian will suffice all the same,” 

Rex groaned, the Indoline Monks surrounding him. He barely had the strength to lift his head, sounds muted by the ringing in his ears. He cracked his eyes open to see one of the monks step forward, lifting his foot with a sneer. Rex closed his eyes as his skull was slammed into the ground by a hard boot. A scream that was felt more than heard tore from his lungs, his nose breaking on impact. When he tried to inhale, all he got was a breath full of dirt. His body seized with coughs, desperately trying to clear his airways. Someone was saying something but he couldn't make out what they were saying. His body was lifted up and carried somewhere.

Rex tried to wiggle out of his captor’s grip but his body relaxed against his will, too tired to do much else. He whimpered. He wanted Pyra or Mythra or Nia or Roc to save him. For anyone to save him. He wanted to go home to Auntie Corrine and see all the kids again, to feel the comforting warmth of homemade soup on his tongue. But he couldn't. He was going to die here, a man out of his time.

A cacophony of noise shook his skull as he was abruptly dropped on the ground, muscles and bones groaning in pain. It took Rex a minute to realize that the noise wasn't just caused by his own screams. He expected to feel the vibrations of bodies hitting the ground. But they never came. Rex took a gamble and tried to open his eyes. His vision blurred, the greens, browns, blues, golds, and whites melding together. The image before him started to focus after he blinked a couple of times, tears clearing his eyes out. It cleared just in time for him to see the last of the warrior monks dissolve into ether. Rex froze, distinctly aware of a looming presence next to him.

"Rex…?" A deep voice asked, almost in surprise. He knew that voice. He really did. But he couldn’t think. Grunting, he willed his arms and legs to crawl forward but they just wouldn't move. He cried as strong arms looped under his legs and upper back, pulling him up bridal style. He pushed back but the stranger was too strong. 

"Hey. I've got you," The stranger's comments did nothing to assuage his worry. His entire body screamed and bellowed at him, burning and crying as his joints resisted any attempts at movement. He could do nothing as he felt himself once again being dragged away. 

At the very least, this person's arms were somewhat comfortable. If he was going to die soon, then at least it wouldn’t be at the hands of the enemy. It's not like it would really matter. Pyra and the others would change the fate of the world with or without him. They would grieve but they would move on eventually. Although he would love to live longer, he had kept his promise to Pyra and Mythra. And he had fulfilled it despite the pain he received in return. All he wanted right then in that moment was to stop the _pain._

"You're not going to die, Rex. Not here and not now," they (She? He? He genuinely couldn’t tell anymore) said. He yelped when his body was jolted violently as they sat down. Rex winced as his hand was grabbed and placed on a hard, chilly surface. It burst to life under his fingers, his entire being tingling pleasantly. A calming cool surged through his hand to the rest of his body, reducing the tension and pain to nothing more than an unpleasant buzz. The high pitched ringing died down, allowing him to hear the sound of water dripping onto the ground. Far in the distance, he could hear the sounds of musicians playing a joyful tune. Loudest of all was the stranger’s breathing, slightly cut off and almost metronomic in rhythm.

The cool energy gradually shifted into something that resembled a pleasant warmth, making his body hum with power. It almost reminded him of how Pyra’s flames felt when he wielded it. Homely. Peaceful. Large fingers raked through his hair, scratching his head every so often. Their breathing started to relax, matching his own. His legs were hanging off the side of their body, one hand on the chest area and the other tucked between them. 

"Feeling better?" They asked. Rex nodded, not trusting his voice. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against their chest, shivering at the temperature difference. The thing beneath his hand continued to pulse with energy. Come to think of it, the surface felt very familiar. Could it be...?

"I was able to remove most of... whatever that was from your body. We'll have to stay like this while my ether circulates through your bloodstream," they said. Rex felt the ghost of a kiss on the top of his head. "Is that okay with you?"

Rex grunted in approval, not able to do much else. He closed his eyes, drifting into a restless sleep. 

Cold water splashing against his exposed, feverish skin was the next sensation he felt. His lips twitched upward painfully, his muscles tightening and writhing with injury. Which made sense, giving the thrashing he had just endured. Some type of soap was being massaged onto his back; it smelled rather pleasant, a smooth earthy smell that took him back to the Lasaria Woodlands and the forest in the lower part of Gormott. His companion obviously knew what they were doing, too, intuitively and meticulously working through all the knots and other sore areas. The tension melted like butter under the ministrations, the aches quieting down. He closed his eyes, lulled into a deep sleep by the repetitive motions.

Yawning, Rex blinked awake slowly. The pain in his back and arms almost felt like a distant memory. Vision blurry at the edges, he peered up curiously to meet a concerned grey gaze. He stared for a second, blinking again, confused as to how he got into this situation. The memories came back to him slowly, his head pounding. 

"You're up," Malos said, voice surprisingly soft. "How do you feel?"

Rex rested his forehead against the blade's body, clutching the grooves in his armor. He felt Malos reach right under his jawline, pressing gently into the skin at his pulsepoint. He flinched away, the touch almost ticklish. A sudden wave of exhaustion hit him again, much to his irritation. He drifted off, questions lingering just out of reach. 

When Rex fully woke up, he knew it was sometime during the day. He could see the rolling plains of Gormott bathing in the yellow rays of the afternoon sun. Strangely though, the area in their shelter seemed to be partially lit in a purple light. Where was it coming from?

"Your outfit… changed," Malos explained, as if he could hear his thoughts. Rex glanced at him like he had gone mad. “Look.”

Rex looked down, and sure enough, it had changed. It was an exact copy of the one Pneuma crafted for him save for the colors; it was black with red accents, the ether decorations now glowing, deep purple. Rex's brow furrowed again.

"Why… Why did you save me? How do you know my name?" He asked hoarsely, coughing. The Aegis chuckled, offering him water. He accepted and drank from it gratefully despite the cool liquid aggravating his throat. 

"I would ask if you hit your head during that little tussle with Indol but, ah, that monk sure spared no expenses in that regard," Rex felt annoyance bubble up at the remark. "Come on kid. You seriously don't remember chasing me all the way up the World Tree all so you could tell me the answer you had found for yourself?"

"World Tree?" Rex murmured, anger fading away. There was no way that the Malos of this time would know about that. He released a breath that he didn’t know he was holding, pleasant shivers running up his spine. "You're….. our Malos. The one from the future."

"Took you long enough," The blade said, smirking. He felt a twinge of satisfaction and relief that wasn’t his own. Rex stared at the Aegis before breaking out into a wide grin. Well, as wide of a grin as he could manage in his current state. He was right.

“Thank you,”

"Huh?" Rex smiled at the bewilderment in his the blade's (his blade's?) voice. He lifted his head, reaching towards the crystal. He traced the edges lightly where the core met armor. It seemed more vibrant than he remembered. It was a softer tone, too; less like a bottomless pit and more like the color of a Mystic Dahlia under the moonlight. "For what? Saving your life?”

"Well, yes. I certainly would have been dead, or worse, had you not helped me. But thank you for trusting me, to be your driver."

“Of course you would pick up on that. You are annoyingly perceptive, after all,” Malos bemoaned, shaking his head. “Let’s get you ready for bed. Your body is still recovering and I’m no healing blade.”

The next few days consisted of the same routine: Sleep, Eat, and Nap. Malos did make him walk around the area some, to keep his muscles from atrophying but he otherwise rested. Rex made several observations about his new blade while his body recovered. Malos was quiet. Any attempts to engage him in conversation were met with either grunts, one word answers, or straight up silence. He didn’t quite know what to make of it. The blade was also perceptive. Oftentimes, he didn’t need to voice his distaste for a certain food or his discomfort when his body was twisted a certain way; he just always seemed to know.

Malos was caring, too. Rex knew he would deny it if the subject was brought up, but the Aegis undoubtedly was caring down to his core. And… Well. He was hiding something. Or perhaps not saying something. Rex didn’t think it was bad or necessarily malicious; Malos struck him as a person that tended to keep to himself. But there was an underlying tension that never left his shoulders, even when he rested. Almost like he was waiting for the other ball to drop.

And Rex had a sinking feeling that he wouldn’t like it when it did.

_═════════•°• •°•═════════_

A week later and Rex was deemed strong enough to travel. Now that he was feeling better, he couldn’t help but worry about Pyra and Nia. They must have been really worried about him, especially given how long he was gone with no communication. 

They were especially going to be worried once they realized just who exactly had rescued him. 

“Malos!” Rex called. His grin dropped once he realized that Malos wasn’t following.

“What are you doing? Let’s go!” He asked, anxiety fluttering through his bloodstream. Malos shook his head.

“I’m staying here. I still have some things that I need to take care of,”

“What do you mean? What things do you need to do? Can I help?”

“It’s none of your business, Rex. You have your mission and I have mine. There’s a ship at the dock that can take you back to Torna,” He said, turning back. Rex frowned, starting to follow. Malos attempted to push him out of the way but he ducked, foreseeing the movement. 

“What do you mean it's none of my business? You’re my blade now,” He countered. Malos froze and turned around, glaring.

“Kid, leave it alone, please,” Malos said, exasperated. Rex scowled, clenching his fists. The feeling from earlier started to bubble up in his stomach. He pushed it down. This wasn't happening again. Was it? 

“No, I won’t leave it alone. Stop running away from me,”

“I’m not running away from you. I just have things that I need to do.”

“Right. And I can’t help you with them?”

“No, you can’t.”

“Why not?”

“You just can’t.”

“Oh really now?” Rex said. He felt all his internal organs sink in his gut, weighing him down.

“You just can’t,” Malos repeated, sighing.

“Why not?” Rex repeated. Malos’ frown morphed into a sneer, his body surrounded in a purplish tinge.

“Stop it, Rex.”

“No, I’m not going to.”

“ _Rex_.” 

“ _Malos_. I’m your driver; it’s kinda my job to be concerned for you and to help you out.”

“What makes you think that you can force your way into my life? You may technically be my driver now but you can’t really want this,” Malos said. “Besides, traveling with you would only complicate matters on your end even more. I would put you in unnecessary danger because of people after my head.”

“But that’s my decision. I don’t mind traveling with you,” Rex said. “No, I _want_ to travel with you.” 

The ground directly in front of him exploded with ether energy. A warning shot, undoubtedly. The show of aggression made something inside Rex shatter. Things had been going so well. He had thought everything was going fine. That maybe his Architect forsaken luck was improving. But apparently not. 

“I don’t want to hurt you, Rex, but if you insist on getting in my way…”

He should have known that things wouldn’t be so easy. 

The emotions positively _boiled_ beneath his skin and exploded out all at once, racing through his joints to the very tips of his fingers. He drew his sword, his grip so tight that the leather fractured and broke under the pressure. He snarled, tears burning his eyes, clouding his vision.

“I didn’t rescue Nia for nothing.” He said quietly, raising the blade in front of him, the darkness within clawing at its restraints, demanding release. “I didn’t stop Bana for nothing.” He charged forward, blood rushing through his ears. “I didn’t stop Amalthus for nothing.” He swiped. Malos dodged. “I didn’t follow you and Jin into Morytha for nothing.” He was knocked back by the force of the Aegis’ swing, his body screaming at him to stop. He kept fighting. “I didn’t chase you all the way up the World Tree _for nothing._ ” Malos teleported behind him. He twisted back, their swords clashing. The look of surprise on the Aegis' face made him livid. “I didn’t try to spare you after the fight with Aion for nothing…! I did all of those things because I wanted to! I’m tired of you all treating me like I can’t make my own damn decisions!” 

His blood was scorched with betrayal, engulfing his body in an inferno from within. He jumped back, side stepping in a circle to get a better vantage point. This Aegis was a master of defense but that didn’t mean he lacked weaknesses. “Why spare me? You can’t seriously tell me that you don’t care for me at all if you went to the effort of nursing me back to health! You should have just left me to die if you’re just going to walk away like this!”

“Kid. Give it up already,” Malos said, pushing forward, his weapon positively buzzing. The sheer force behind the sword caught Rex off guard. He held strong, though, tensing the muscles in his legs, pushing back. He locked eyes with the Aegis.

“Never. I will never give up,” He swiftly kicked Malos square in the core crystal with his heel, sending the dark blade flying back, hitting a tree with a loud grunt. The unspoken ‘on you’ hung heavy in the air. Malos stood up, pushing his sword into the ground for something to lean on.

"I already told you," He rasped, slightly disoriented. “I was born to hate! I was born to destroy things! Nothing can change that!”

"That's not true! You wouldn't have healed me if the only thing you could do was destroy! Stop lying to yourself! Stop running away! Why can’t you understand that?!" Rex replied, pulling at his hair in frustration. Why did he always not know what to say….? 

"You don't understand me. You barely know me!"

"Then make me understand! Explain it to me since I'm obviously too stupid to figure it out!"

"I destroyed Torna, Judicium, Coeia. I sank several lesser titans beneath the sea. I almost destroyed the entire damn world. Stop defending me, Rex. I know I'm a monster."

"Then why are you going around changing history?" Rex asked, staring at him. He glared when the blade opened his mouth. "Don't try and deny it; You and I both know it would take someone powerful to stop an Aegis from blasting a hole in a titan. If you were such a monster, why are you even bothering to stop your past self? Why aren't you helping him? You could easily take out Addam and… his Mythra. They wouldn't be experienced enough to deal with you at this point, much less two of you."

“I-”

"No. _Stop running away_ . You're doing this because you feel guilty about what happened to Jin. You don't want him to go through the same thing again," Rex said. Malos scoffed. " _Stop_. It's written all over your face."

"Really now?" Malos asked, his eyes narrowing. "And what makes you so certain of that?"

"You bite your lip when you're about to lie," Rex said. "You shift your weight to your right and cover your chest when you talk about something touchy. I also think that's something you would do. It makes sense to me."

"Well, that's where you're wrong, kid."

" _Don't lie to me_." Rex deadpanned. "if you don’t want to talk about it, fine. But don't lie to me."

"And if I do? Lie to you? What would you do to me in return?"

Rex sheathed his weapon. "Nothing."

"Nothing. Really?"

"I can't force you to do anything. And I wouldn't want to force you if I could," Rex said, taking small, tentative steps forward. "I'm only asking that you not lie to my face, especially about important matters."

"Tch." Malos said, looking away. It was obvious to anyone with functioning eyes that Malos didn’t really want to fight. As skilled of a fighter as he was, he would stand little chance against a blade alone, much less an Aegis. Malos stood up shakily, leaning over his Monado, hunched over. Rex stopped once they were face to face. He brushed some stray hair away from his face, cupping the side of his cheek, admiring the storm of emotion in his blade’s vulnerable eyes.

“Look... You just lost the little family you spent centuries building. Patroka, Akhos, Mikhail, _Jin.”_ Rex said, leaning their heads together, his heart racing with hurt and compassion. He could feel their breaths mingle together, his lips tingling with the feel of dark ether. “The only one still alive is Nia. Even then, she was only with you for a short time. You’re alone in a world that would rather see you dead than alive. I won’t even try to pretend to know how that feels.”

“What’s your point, _kid_?” Malos spat, gripping tightly at his shirt. He placed his hand over his blade’s, rubbing the knuckles lightly.

“I can’t promise you that I’ll be a good driver. I can’t promise that you will find yourself a family again. The only thing that I can promise is a second chance,” Rex said, smiling softly. “You’re not an evil person, all things considered. You’ve made some bad choices, yeah. I won’t deny that. But you aren’t evil. You aren’t Amalthus. And you never will be. Not if I can help it.”

If Rex hadn’t been staring at Malos he would have missed the ever so slight widening of the Aegis’ eyes. The hand around his shirt slowly relaxed, allowing Rex to slip their hands together. He squeezed their joined hands, pulling the two of them up. 

“Fuck…”

“Fuck indeed…” Rex murmured, resisting the urge to embrace the Aegis. He didn’t think Malos was ready for it.

“I’m not used to people being nice to me. Not without some type of...” Malos said.

“I know. I have a feeling that we’ll be fighting a lot over the coming years. And that’s okay,” Rex replied. “I meant what I said. I’m going to make sure you get a second chance. What you do with that chance is up to you. Just trust in me, alright?”

He winced at a sudden rush of pain in his left knee as it collapsed out from under him, causing him to quite literally fall into his blade’s arms. Malos glanced at the leg, an unspoken question in his eyes.

“An old salvaging injury. It bothers me sometimes if I… well.. do much of anything,” Rex admitted sheepishly, pushing himself up as he kicked his leg back and forth. He made a mental note to do some stretches before bed. “Nothing a good night’s rest won’t heal.”

“Old? Kid, you’re like twelve. Just how long have you been in the business?” Malos asked, crossing his arms. 

“Since I was nine, actually. I got this injury when I hadn’t taken a weapon with me one time and a Skorpex had grabbed me by the leg,” Rex chuckled, scratching his head.

“Nine?” Malos echoed. “Aren’t there child labor laws in place?”

“Well, I didn’t start diving until I was eleven. But there are jobs you can do as a ‘salvager’ that don’t require diving in the sea. Odd things here and there like sorting through materials for tradesmen and such. Even when I got my license and did start diving, I was only cleared for 9 meters or so down. I didn’t get cleared for anything deeper than that until I was 13,” Rex explained. “Even then, I was hard pressed to get it. The age minimum is 13 but starting so early in your life is.. Well…”

“Deadly?” 

“Not necessarily. Er, not any more deadly than for everyone else. It just… Well... Exposure to extreme pressure over time stunts your growth. I likely won’t get any taller than this,” Rex said, gesturing to his body. “I have grown a couple of centimeters since I resonated with Pyra. But I’m unlikely to grow much more. Which I’m fine with. I think I’m one of the only people who actually likes being short, haha.” 

“Of course you would,” He said, shaking his head. “Anyways, I don’t know about you but I’m hungry.”

Rex’s stomach growled in affirmation. “Haha. Guess you already know my answer!”

“Do you want anything specifically?”

“Not really. I’ve been so sick lately that everything has tasted rather bland. No offense to your cooking skills, of course!”

They settled down at the Hidden campsite after gathering a few Sumpkins, Meaty Carrots, Barbed Tomatoes, Creeping Starpeppers, and Hustle Hyacinths. Rex watched his blade while the food sautéed.

“How did you survive, by the way?” he asked. “You faded away in my arms.”

“I have no fucking idea. I woke up floating in the Cloud Sea somewhere outside of Gormott,” Malos replied, shrugging. “There’s a lot I don’t understand. I was hoping you and Mythra would know more but I see that it’s probably not the case, right?”

“We’re clueless as well,” he said. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re alive.”

“Of course you would be. You would have wanted us all to survive,” Malos murmured, shaking his head. “Dinner’s ready. Eat up.”

Rex wanted to say more but nodded nonetheless. He was getting pretty hungry. The food was warm and delicious, despite his lack of taste. Was cooking something that the Aegis’ specialized in? It wouldn’t surprise him. (Mythra wasn’t a bad cook, all things considered. Not everyone had a natural inclination towards it like Pyra and Crossette. Some people just needed a little guidance and some practice. Architect knows how many times he fucked up before he understood how long to cook things and how to season them).

“Hey Rex.” Malos said, breaking the silence as they ate. He hummed in reply. “i know it's a bit of an odd request but do you think you could call me Logos…?”

“Logos? Sure.” he said, lightly sipping on the soup. “That’s the name that the Architect gave you, right?”

“Yeah,” Logos said, looking away. “You’re not going to ask why?”

“If you wanted to explain it to me, you would. I learned that lesson after speaking with you on the Maelstrom,” Rex replied. “And it’s not imperative that I know the reason why.”

“Huh.” 

“For the record, I am curious. And I do have an idea why you might want to go by a different name. But I can wait until you want to tell me.” Rex said. 

“...Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *slams fist down on the table* LOGOS FINALLY JOINS THE PARTY~
> 
> You guys don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this day. (I wrote this chapter when I was writing Chapter one and two and Epilogue one. It’s been a long time coming.). Speaking of long time coming, here’s Logos’ affinity chart!
> 
> Abilities:  
> Monado Armor: Grants 75% physical and ether barrier to party at max affinity  
> Monado Speed: Improves Evasion/Accuracy by 150% at max affinity  
> Monado Eater: Removes a Debuff (ala AC System Reset V for Poppi)
> 
> Arts:  
> Ultra Slash (Back Attack up)  
> Striker Edge (Break)  
> Crow Dance (Evasion))  
> Touch Me Not (Launch)
> 
> Specials:  
> Level 1 Special: Endless Night (removes buffs)  
> Level 2 Special: Monado Cyclone (AOE, Topples enemies suffering break)  
> Level 3 Special: Ephemeral Moon (Knockback)  
> Level 4 special: Heavenly Disrupt (AOE blast)
> 
> Field Skills:  
> Dark Mastery, 5 Levels  
> ??? (Unique Skill), 5 levels  
> Keen Eye, 5 levels.
> 
> Since this likely will be one of my last updates before the New Year, I’d like to go ahead and give my thoughts on 2020.
> 
> It sucked ass. There’s really no way to butter it up. Between a global pandemic, the two hardest semesters of my life, the destruction of some close friendships, an extreme and unusual lack of sleep, and more, I’ve struggled. I’ve struggled a lot. Someone very close to me passed away this year during the peak of my coursework which really fucked me over big time and still fucks me over on some days. 
> 
> But you know what’s funny? It’s been the best year of my life in terms of my activities here. I’ve written seven(!) (and soon to be eight) fics in the latter half of this year of varying popularity (which is fine by me), three of which are multi chapter. I got two really solid ideas for fanfiction that have just taken off (almost 4000 hits for this specific one with only 6 chapters until now? I’m still blown away). I’ve done something I never thought I’d be able to do; start and continue with a long term project. In fact, I’ve successfully managed two long term projects for the same fandom. And I just added another for a different fandom (JJBA) that I’ve come to absolutely adore. I haven’t been this active since I wrote for Persona 5 (which I’m getting back into so maybe some more fics in the future? Hopefully with less problematic stories this time-).
> 
> Thank you. Every single one of you. I’m not exaggerating when I say you’ve kept me sane through these crazy times. Especially those of you that comment and comment frequently. I’ve actually mentioned a few of you by (user)name to a couple of people in my day to day life that are privy to my activities here. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much.
> 
> I can’t tell you what the future will hold in terms of updates. I have two semesters left (three technically but it’s weird for music majors) and next semester will be max hours again (and thankfully the last semester of max hours). But I vow to you here and now; I will have this done by the time I graduate. (Which means you can look forward to some more double updates! I’ve always wanted to do a double update but never had the opportunity until now!)
> 
> Until next time,  
> Your Musician


	9. "History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Sits behind a DM screen with dim lights and a fog machine* And with that, my friends, we have our first major character death of the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Early New Year everyone! I hope you enjoy your first taste of death!
> 
> My jams: Four Limbed Titan Gormott (TTGC), Over Despair and Animus (TTGC), Friendship (XC2), A Faint Hope (XC2).
> 
> Quote comes from Maya Angelou.
> 
> Also! There is a panic attack in this chapter. It's not explicit (again, have to avoid putting myself in a bad headspace) but it's there! It starts at "I did have Pyra's core crystal..." and ends with "out of the corner of his eye"

_═════════•°• Militia Camp, Torna, Alrest •°•═════════_

If it were possible to melt into a puddle of goo and bury herself into the soil, Pyra would gladly do so in a heartbeat. 

“You are going to explain yourself as soon as we get to the camp,” Minoth said, tone dry and void of emotion. She winced, tucking some stray hair behind her ear. “I know what I saw. Just who are you? An imposter? An enemy?”

“We aren’t your enemy, Minoth,” She said, trying to mask the panic welling up in her chest.

“Really? I find that hard to believe,” He remarked. Pyra shivered, crossing her arms in front of her body. She had never seen such a cold expression in Minoth’s eyes before. Not unless Amalthus was brought up. 

_“I’m sorry,”_ Mythra murmured. _“I didn’t mean to come out like that but…”_

 _“I understand. If our roles were reversed, I would have done the same,”_ She replied, crossing her arms in front of her body. _“Do you have any idea where Rex will end up?”_

 _“I wish I did. But I wouldn’t be able to tell unless I had a map of the sea currents. It’s not like he’s carrying around part of our core crystal anymore,”_ Mythra said. _“I hope Jin will watch over him at the very least. I saw him leap after Rex almost as soon as he fell.”_

_“Jin? But Lora and Haze weren’t…”_

“ _Not that Jin. The flesh eater,”_ Mythra said. _“He’s been trailing us for a while.”_

 _“And you didn’t think to tell me?”_ She said, frowning slightly. 

_“You were worried about keeping Minoth off our trail. Not that it did much in the end,”_ She felt unease pour from Mythra’s side of their bond. _“I also don’t think he was the only one who accompanied us here. If Jin’s alive, then there’s only one person who could have prevented Malos from destroying that village.”_

Pyra grimaced _. “Himself.”_

_“Exactly. Well, kind of. You know what I mean. Unfortunately, there’s no way for me to verify this. I can’t contact either Malos; there’s something blocking it and it’s not any of us.”_

“Well, that answered that question,” Pyra murmured, ignoring Minoth’s questioning stare. She vaguely understood what Mythra was talking about. It was a type of low energy communication, a vestige from the time before they were blades. She nor Mythra had ever felt a need to use it given that Ontos was gone and Malos was… Well. A genocidal maniac.

“We’re here,” Minoth said curtly, bringing her out of her thoughts. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“We won’t,” She replied, closing her eyes. The dark blade nodded before glancing around, presumably looking for Addam. She took deep breaths, trying to calm her pounding heart. It had been so long since she had last seen him and to meet him again under these circumstances... If she was feeling this way, then she couldn’t imagine just how Mythra felt.

“Sheesh. What a drag,” Crossette said. “Just who does he think he is?”

“Remember old man Cole? In Fonya Myma?” Nia asked. “I’m almost certain that’s him; same core crystal, same scar over his right eye.”

“Yes. I’m surprised you recognized him,” Pyra said. 

“I’d recognize that ugly mug anywhere,” She said, crossing her arms in front of her body. “Didn’t expect him to be alive now, though.”

“Yes. It’s a miracle he survived so long,” Roc said. “Although, that begs the question; why did he look so old when Jin looked so young?”

“It probably had something to do with the way his body regulated ether. In fact, that’s the only thing it could be,” Nia explained. “And Jin also had the regeneration chamber that Malos and him nabbed from the remains of Judicium; if he hadn’t, I suspect Jin would have been in the same condition.”

 _“Speaking of which… Are you going to tell them about Jin or...?”_ Mythra asked.

 _“No. There’s no point in making them worry. Not when we’re so exposed,”_ Pyra replied, glancing around the camp, avoiding the people’s curious gazes. _“When and if we get some time alone away from the others, maybe. But until then...”_

“Who’s that over there?” Crossette asked, peering over Nia’s shoulder. “He looks like Morag’s younger brother.”

“That’s Hugo Ardanach, Emperor of Mor Ardain. His brother is handling matters as regent in the Empire hence why he’s here,” Pyra said, distinct sadness radiating from Mythra. “He’s also one of Addam’s good friends.”

“Wow. I would have mistaken him for Niall if I hadn’t been paying attention,” Nia remarked.

“Likewise,” Roc said. 

_“He’s so young…”_ Mythra murmured. _“Almost as young as Niall was.”_

 _“Indeed,”_ Pyra said. As if he could hear Mythra’s thoughts, Hugo glanced over in their direction. His eyes widened almost comically, surprise painting his face when his gaze focused on them. He pulled Brighid aside to whisper something in her ear before sauntering over to them excitedly. It reminded Pyra of a puppy who had just found out they were getting a new toy.

“Pyra! Nia! What a pleasant surprise,” Hugo said. The cheerfulness in his voice hit Pyra like a ton of bricks.

“Wait. What?” Nia asked, swiping a hand in front of her face. She glared at the Gormotti out of the corner of her eye.

“Hugo. It’s been far too long. How have you been?” Pyra asked, doing her best to stay calm and collected.

“You know these people, Emperor?” Minoth asked as he approached, Addam, Zeke, and Lora in tow. Pyra froze, glancing away from the advancing group, hand resting over her core crystal.

“Of course I do. You could say that they’re good friends of mine,” He said, face blank. “In fact, I haven’t seen them in quite a long time. If you’d follow me into the ship so we could catch up in private?”

“Of course,” Pyra said, giving a polite bow. 

“Now wait a minute here. They just-”

“No worries, Minoth. I will not keep them for long. Zeke, if you would tag along too...” Hugo replied, eye twinkling with a stubbornness that let Minoth know he wouldn’t be convinced otherwise. He watched, a unpleasant taste on his tongue as the group boarded the ship. 

“You know… I don’t ever recall seeing those people ever before,” Addam said, tilting his head slightly to the side.

“...Pardon me. I realize that I am in no place to ask this but… Has Emperor Hugo been acting oddly as of late?” Minoth asked.

“Hugo? He seems perfectly normal to me,” Addam replied, raising an eyebrow. “Why? Is something the matter?”

“... It’s nothing.” He replied, looking away. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Are you sure?” Addam pressed. 

“Yeah,” he said. “I know I said this before but it’s nice to see you again, my prince; it’s been a while. I don’t think you’ve introduced me to your friends officially, however. I’m Minoth. Nice to meet you.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Lora and this is Jin and Haze. What’s up with your core crystal?” Lora inquired, sensing the tension starting to build. “I’ve never seen a multicolored one before.”

He sighed. “I’m a flesh eater. A blade that's infused with human cells. It allows me to use my full potential without the need of my driver.”

“Without a driver….? Incredible!” Addam exclaimed, eyes lighting up. “Can you still fight with a driver?”

“Yeah. I can fight with anyone if I so choose,” He replied, sighing again. He couldn’t just barge onto the ship without Hugo’s permission. Not unless he had a death wish. But what could he do then?

“Are you sure nothing’s wrong? I don’t mean to pry but you still look bothered by something,” Haze said, concern etched on her face.

“Those people that I brought into camp? They’re hiding something. I just don’t know what,” he said, giving in. He didn’t want to get more people involved than necessary, especially if he had just brought enemies into Addam’s home. “I just wasn’t expecting Hugo to get their attention and take them away.” 

“Hiding?” Lora questioned. “Are you sure? They seemed perfectly normal to me.”

“I’m almost certain that both Nia and Pyra are flesh eaters too, if not just blades. They also came up with some rather weak lies about their origins,” He explained.

“Maybe they don’t want to explain where they’re from? We are in the middle of a war and they could have lost their home to Malos...” Haze suggested, trailing off. 

“Not to mention that you have a bit of a… headstrong personality. Not everyone is used to that. They may not know how to react to your questions,” Addam mentioned. “Not that there’s anything wrong with you, Minoth.”

“I don’t think that’s what he’s trying to point out, Addam,” Mythra said quietly, eyes downcast. “You feel it too, right?”

“About Pyra? Yeah. She feels a lot like you. Like an Aegis,” Minoth said. Mythra shook her head. 

“It’s not just that; her energy signature is almost exactly identical to mine. That shouldn’t be possible,” She said, twirling hair around her finger. “I’ve felt her ever since we stepped foot onto Torna. I thought I was just imagining it at first but now that I saw her right in front of me...”

“That’s impossible,” Jin said. “If what you’re saying is true, then that means…”

“Pyra is me. Or a version of me. I’m not exactly sure,” Mythra said. 

“What does that mean, then? I thought it wasn’t possible to have two of any blade, much less two of an Aegis,” Lora asked. “And what about her appearance? She looks nothing like you. And her core crystal, if you can even call it that, is red, not green.”

“It’s most likely an illusion. A disguise. I have a little more control over my appearance than most other blades,” Mythra said. “It would make sense why she would choose to change her looks. A green core would be hard to explain.”

“So what do we do?” Haze asked. “I don’t think we should just rush in with fists raised, so to speak. While the circumstances are a little odd, we can’t just presume their intentions from a glance.”

“Besides, Hugo already took them onto the ship along with Zeke. We can't exactly just walk in and demand answers. Friend or not, he still is the Emperor of Mor Ardain,” Jin pointed out.

“Well. I think we may very well have an opportunity to find out,” Lora said, subtly motioning in the direction of the ship. Brighid was approaching them.

“Minoth.” the blade stated, apprehension settling in her stomach as everyone turned to face her. “Hugo requests your presence: he has a couple of questions that he wishes to ask you.”

“Does he now?” He narrowed his eyes. “Well, I guess I can't deny a direct request from the Emperor. Why don’t you show me the way?”

“Wait for me.” Mythra said, approaching them. “I’m coming.”

“I don’t think you should-” Brighid started only to be interrupted by Addam.

“We’re coming along too. There’s no reason to keep secrets, now is there?” he said, his facial expression sharpening. Brighid sighed, already dreading the ensuing headache she would feel from Lady Morag. Nonetheless, she led them onto the ship, winding towards the back where the Emperor's personal quarters and servant’s bedrooms were located. She knocked on the door next to Hugo’s room. “It’s me. Prince Addam and company decided to accompany me here.”

“Prince Addam…?” Addam murmured, eyebrows furrowing. A deep, heavy sigh followed by frantic whispers could be heard from behind the door. He wasn’t able to pick out the specifics of their conversation but he had no doubt as to what it was about.

“Come in!” Hugo’s voice called after a moment. Brighid opened the door, leading them inside the rather spacious room. Addam’s widened eyes roamed all over the room. Or rather, their inhabitants. The Gormotti girl and one of her blades were sitting at the table in the eastern part, slouched down and looking bored. The tiger blade was sitting at their feet, inquisitive gaze trained on them. Pyra and Hugo were all sitting on the bed in the middle where a tall woman lay, propped up into a sitting position against the headboard. She looked pale and sickly, reminding him of how Mungo had described Zeke when he first arrived. Speaking of the devil, he was standing in the right corner with his blades alongside… another Brighid?

“Is it just me or am I seeing double?” Lora asked, eyes moving back and forth between the two Brighid’s. Minoth could already feel a migraine forming.

“Look. We’re going to make this nice and simple and give you the abbreviated version of what’s going on,” Nia said, glaring at him. “Since you couldn’t resist sticking your noses where it didn’t belong.”

“Abbreviated version? What are you talking about?” Addam asked, frowning. “And I do believe I have the right to know what’s going on in my own homestead.”

“There’s a lot of things that you aren’t aware of. We were going to tell you eventually but we didn’t expect to lose track of my driver like that,” Pyra said, crossing her arms in front of her body. “We weren’t trying to start anything.”

“Indeed,” the figure on the bed said, her thick Ardainian accent leaving no doubt as to where she was from. “Your goal first and foremost from my understanding was to reunite with myself and the others?”

“Yes,” the tiger blade said. “We still have no idea where the nopon and his blades are. And now Master Rex has gone missing.”

“This is all fine and good but can someone please explain what’s going on?” Jin asked, leaning against the wall. “Why are there two Brighids? And, from what Mythra and Minoth said, two of the same Aegis?”

“Yeesh. Have some patience, Mister I almost-” the girl with horns started before the Gormotti flesh eater (?) slapped a hand over her mouth.

“I would definitely like some answers,” Addam said. “Especially from you, Hugo.”

“And you’ll get them, I assure you,” Hugo said. “But please, make yourselves comfortable. This is not going to be a short story.”

“...Was it even worth it to hide our identities? If we were discovered this quickly?” Pyra asked quietly as the rest of the group settled.

“Hiding your identities was the smartest thing you could have done. You couldn’t have known how we would have reacted,” Hugo said, leaning forward. “Now, why don’t we start at the beginning?”

_═════════•°• :Gormott, Alrest: •°•═════════_

"It's probably best that we take the ship back to Torna,” Logos said. “It’ll be safer that way. I know Amalthus was able to keep an eye on me because he could track when I teleported.”

“But you aren’t his blade anymore,” Rex pointed out.

“We didn't have a connection at all. Not in any way like what you have with Pyra and Mythra and your other blades,” He replied. “He wasn’t just a charismatic leader; as much as I hate to admit it, he’s also a scientific genius. It’s best to lay low as much as possible.”

“Does that mean you want to avoid going to Torna, then? If anyone recognizes you, that’ll be a disaster and a half.” Rex said. Logos reached over and ruffled the hair on his head.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry; This isn’t the first time I’ve had to hide my core crystal and it probably won’t be the last,” he said, summoning a chest piece to hide the purple core. “The majority of people won’t recognize my face. We need to get you back to your blades, first and foremost. We can figure out what to do from then once we have everyone together.”

“When we get back to my other blades, you mean,” Rex said. “And you know they’re not going to be happy about this, right?”

“Heh. I should be the one telling you that,” he said. “I can guarantee they’re all going to be against it. Are you sure you’re ready to deal with that kind of backlash?” 

“It’s not anything I’m not used to,” Rex said, a lingering bitterness curling along the edges of his words. He hummed. Maybe his former adversaries were not as united in their goals as he had once thought.

“Rex, I’ll be fine. Stop worrying,” he said, more harshly than he intended. He winced as a stab of pain emanated from his core crystal. He had always wondered why blades cared so much for their driver’s well being. Now that he felt the consequences his own words dealt firsthand, he understood. “Sorry. I didn’t mean for that to come out so harsh.”

“I know,” Rex replied. The pain subsided slightly but stayed ever present. He had a feeling it would be a little while before his driver completely shrugged it off. “I know that this is not something I can run from; the changes to my salvaging outfit kind of makes that impossible. Not that I would want to if I could.”

“I could get rid of it if you want-”

“Don’t. I like it and I want it to stay. We match this way. Kind of,” Rex said before changing the subject. “How long will it take us to get to the dock?”

“It’s about a ten minute walk, more or less,” he said. “What should our cover story be?”

“Uhh… You’re the driver and I’m your blade?” Rex suggested offhandedly. “Honestly, I am the last person you should be directing that question towards.”

“Geez. It’s a wonder how you managed to get anything done…” he said, shaking his head. “Just leave the story to me and go along with it.”

“I mean, it would have worked if I still had Pyra’s core crystal...” Rex trailed off, yawning. It was strange to see Gormott at this time. The wildlife was the first difference that stuck out; he never would have guessed that Aspars would have once inhabited the open plains. And the landscape itself? He recognized the entrance to Torigoth, Lyta Oasis, and the Waytree but that was about it. They were so much closer to the Cloud Sea, even during high tide on his time's Gormott. He longed to dive beneath the clouds; what types of things would he find here, in this time? He could go without the excessive amounts of hills, though. Despite how young he was, the damage that had been done to his body made him feel like he was in his late twenties. He lurched forward suddenly, barely able to keep himself upright as all the air was punched out of his lungs. He glanced around with confusion, drawing his sword. There were no enemies around. Or people, for that matter. So why did…?

“Rex.” Logos stated, voice rigid and withdrawn. Confused, he followed Logos’ gaze. Nothing out of the ordinary stood out at first. Then, he noticed (or rather, smelt) the acidic, burnt scent of dark ether. He looked further down the plain, spying a familiar head of silver hair and an eerily familiar face.

"How…?" Logos breathed, eyes wide. "That's…"

"Don't question it. Malos first, questions later," Rex said, drawing his sword as he sprinted towards the dark Aegis. He was just fast enough to leap in front of Jin, projecting an ether shield at the last second to block the explosion of darkness from finishing off the flesh eater. The epicenter of the blast exploded on contact, spreading across the surface in a swirling storm of anger. 

“Oh? And who do we have here? Are you the mysterious absent driver of this sorry excuse of an opponent?” Malos roared with laughter, resting the blade of his weapon on his right shoulder. Rex shuddered, feeling nothing but pure animosity roll off of him. “On second thought, no. You wouldn’t be this one’s driver. I have to give you credit, though; you got a lot of balls to be jumping in without a blade of your own.”

“I do have one. A blade, that is,” Rex said, backing up slowly towards the flesh eater. He shivered, ice ether rumbling around him frantically. He needed to buy Jin some time; there would be no way he could protect the flesh eater and help Logos defeat Malos. Not when he was the only driver out of the bunch.

“Oh? And where are they? I don’t see them anywhere,” Malos taunted, dramatically looking around as if to make a point. Rex tugged at his blade’s ether connection, trying to coax him to approach. The bond wouldn’t listen to him; in fact, he felt it try and pull him back and away from the situation. Rex held strong, meeting Malos’ gaze head on. 

“They’re on their way. They’ll be here in no time,” 

“Ha! You’re bluffing,” Malos said, activating the weapon. “Well, it’s too bad then. Guess I’ll have to deal with you and then take out the one kneeling behind you. You’ll be a nice warm-up.”

Rex stood his ground, his eyes burning with trust and confidence even as Malos prepared an attack. Meanwhile, Logos watched the situation with growing horror. He knew redemption would not be easy. He had figured that he could start by stopping his past self. So he had done everything in his power to subdue Malos and take him out of the picture. 

But, much like everything he had ever tried to do, he had failed. And he would be damned if he was going to let another person get hurt because of his failures. Logos cried out, unable to take it any longer, and charged. He flung an orb of ether energy towards his doppleganger. Rex had the foresight to jump back, taking Jin with him, escaping the reaches of the impact. A torrent of dust erupted from the explosion, wind angrily swirling around. He sprinted towards his driver, discomfort settling in his body.

“You... You’re so stupid,” He seethed, gripping his driver’s shoulders like a lifeline. “What were you thinking? Rushing in head first?”

“What are we supposed to do? Leave Jin to fight him alone? Teleport away to Pyra and Mythra only to have him follow? Board the ship only for him to take it down? He’s after us too, if you can’t tell,” Rex spat back, clutching the drip of his sword tightly. Logos snarled, shaking his head.

“He’s only after us because you… Ugh. We’ll talk about this later,” He growled, summoning his sword, offering it to his driver. “Prepare yourself. This won’t be an easy fight. What a first battle together as driver and blade...”

Rex sheathed his own weapon, taking Logos’ Monado for himself. It was big, much bigger than anything he was used to wielding. Which made sense, given that Logos was almost twice his height. Yet it was surprisingly easy to hold, weighted slightly more towards the blade end. He felt their bond unfurl, power radiating throughout his body. The weapon came to life, a purple blade of ether extending off the weapon, his suit lighting up softly. He felt Logos’ emotions; the fear, the protectiveness, the confusion, the anger. He took them into his heart, sending his own feelings of love, confidence, and assuredness back through their bond. When Rex opened his eyes as the dust settled, he felt calm. Like a cat waiting for just the right moment to pounce on their prey. 

“What the...?” Malos yelled, somewhere in front of him. Rex took a deep breath and charged forward. Time seemed to slow down momentarily in a manner that was strangely reminiscent of Mythra’s foresight abilities. He saw Malos attempt to dodge his swing, leaning to the right. He swung in the opposite direction at the last possible moment, catching Malos by surprise as he slashed straight through the armor on his right shoulder. The dark Aegis stumbled back several paces, clutching the injured limb.

“How the fuck did you do that?” He bellowed. Rex ran forward, feigning another swing at Malos’ right shoulder. At the last moment, he threw the sword behind him towards Logos, sliding between Malos’ legs. The dark Aegis barely had time to process the feign before he was sliced right along his spine. Pain erupted belatedly around the injury but Malos ignored it, blindly swiping back at his assailant. He flipped around quickly, intending to strike his opponent on the head and end this little dance before it got out of control. Neither his opponent nor his blade were behind him; even the flesh eater he had tracked down was nowhere to be found. 

“Who the hell are you? Some knock off version of me?” Malos cried into the air, scanning the area. He sprinted forward once he found his targets off in the distance, weapon right in front of him. Logos dodged, tossing his weapon back to his driver. Rex caught it, their ether link flaring to a bright orange color. 

“I’m you but better,” Logos stated simply, doing his best to suppress the nausea settling in his stomach. Seeing the person he used to be right in front of his face was disheartening. And, if he was honest with himself, frightening. Taking advantage of his distraction, Malos attempted to swing at his counterpart. However, the damage to his shoulder affected the trajectory of the strike, the sword merely falling to the side.

“Damn it!” Malos scowled, leaping back a couple of paces. He would have to rethink his strategy. He wasn’t expecting the little shit to be so speedy.

“You know,” Rex gritted out, dodging out of the way when Malos sent several waves of ether towards him. “From how you fought before, I didn’t expect you to be anything close to an evasion tank.”

“You aren’t built like I am,” Logos replied, shielding his driver from a blast of ether. “I had to adjust my strategy to better protect you.” 

A warm feeling swelled in Rex’s heart, his face flushing. “You don’t have to do that, you know.”

“I want to,” Logos said. “Now let’s focus on defeating what’s ahead!”

“Right!” Rex said. “Any advice? Since he’s basically you?”

“Aim for his core crystal. It will give us the opening we need,” Logos stated. “Toppling him wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“Got it!” Rex said. “Striker Edge!”

“Hey!” Logos called as Malos was pushed backwards. He mumbled out his next statement. “That’s my art…”

“It’s our art now!” Rex called back cheekily, parrying a blow from the dark Aegis. He passed the weapon back to his blade. “You ready?”

“Let’s do this!” Dark ether churned in the air, rising up violently and knocking any poor soul that wasn’t prepared for it to the ground. Malos landed face first in the dirt. Using that to his advantage, Rex ran forward and launched the dark Aegis into the air. Unfortunately, he righted himself almost immediately, forming a sphere of ether between his hands. Logos’ eyes widened in realization.

“I was hoping to avoid doing this but I can’t let you run around wearing my face,” he cried, sending the orb careening towards the titan. Logos all but flew towards Rex, spreading a giant shield of ether spanning the entire plain. The orb exploded angrily on impact, spreading across the surface. Rex took advantage of the cover it granted him, sprinting towards the spot where the dark Aegis would land. Logos threw the Monado towards his driver; Rex reached behind him without looking and grasped the sword. 

“Damn it, kid. You’re smart. But you’re still no match for me!” Malos cried, swiping broadly with his sword. Rex would have taken a direct hit from it had a blur not raced past him, meeting the Aegis’ strike with his own. 

“Well well well. Looks like you have more spunk than I thought,” he taunted, pushing back against Jin. “Unfortunately for you, that same trick won’t work twice.”

He shoved Jin backwards, the blade flying helplessly behind him. Logos caught him, setting him down. Rex tossed his weapon back to his blade, powerful gusts of wind mixed with dark ether surrounding him. He unleashed another Monado Cyclone, toppling the dark Aegis. Catching Logos’ weapon, he prepared himself to launch Malos into the air. Jin beat him to it, flinging him into the air before slamming him into the ground, a resounding crack echoing around them. Malos didn’t stay down long, though, teleporting away briefly to catch his breath. Rex furrowed his eyebrows, noticing that he had two lines of ether extending from his chest. He traced the new one back to Jin. He sent a questioning glance towards the flesh eater. 

“It’s an ether connection, Rex. I really hope you don’t need me to explain that to you,” Jin said, smirking.

“Oi! You cheeky sod…” Rex murmured. “Was just surprised, is all. You sure you’re okay to fight?”

“Yeah. Let’s do this,”

The last part of the fight, if you could even call it that, was laughable at best. Rex almost felt bad for Malos. Fighting with a cracked core crystal against three opponents who were extremely well versed in how he fought? There was nothing he could do to dodge anything they threw at him. Especially since Rex was doubly more powerful (and nimble) thanks to Jin. It only took a few more good swings from himself and the flesh eater before Malos was kneeling before them, defeated and breathless. Before Rex could open his mouth to say something, Logos drove the sword directly into Malos’ core crystal from behind. A positively grating scream tore out of Malos’ lungs, chilling Rex to the bone. 

“You… Why would you…” he choked out, a couple of lone tears falling down his cheeks. “Why would you go after me and not…?”

The dark Aegis gave a resigned chuckle, the rest of his body dissipating into a cloud of ether, lighting the nighttime plains of Gormott with lavender. Logos stumbled forward, leaning onto his sword for support. Rex blinked away the shock, feeling the constant pulse of anxiety coming from their bond. He hobbled over, his left leg protesting with every movement.

“How… did you do that? Any of that? You used my power,” Logos murmured, placing his hands on his driver’s shoulders. “Even as my driver, you shouldn’t be able to…”

“I did have Pyra’s core crystal lodged in my chest for a long time. Maybe that has something to do with- Hey. Are you alright?” Rex started to explain before grasping one of Logos’ trembling hands. He gazed up, taking note of the dazed look in his eyes and his short, ragged breaths. Realization dawning upon him, Rex pulled Logos down to where they sat cross legged. 

“Logos. Look at me,” He murmured, pulling his blade close. “Name five things you can see.”

“Rex-”

“Trust me.”

“I- Your eyes, the cave off in the distance, Jin, the grass… a ponio,” Logos whispered, shivering violently. Rex rubbed the blade’s knuckles reassuringly. 

“Good. Four things you can feel?”

Logos traced the grooves in his armor, his breaths ragged and abrupt. “Your armor. The… The ground beneath me. The wind blowing across my face.” He touched the exposed skin on his chest. “Your skin beneath my fingers.”

“Three things you can hear.”

“My own breathing. The wind rustling the grass. Your heartbeat.”

“Two things you can smell.”

“Eternity perfume. Nature.”

“One thing you can taste.”

“Ether,” Logos said bitterly, his lip trembling. “Ether.”

“How are you feeling now?” Rex asked.

“...Better,” He admitted, shuddering. “Not perfect, but better.”

Out of the corner of his eyes, Rex noticed Jin approach timidly. Before he could greet him, his attention was diverted away as Logos suddenly pulled him into an embrace, all the air forced out of his lungs. The blade buried his face into his driver’s neck, exhaling. He could feel a damp spot start to form on his shoulder. “Please don’t do that again. I can’t...”

“I won’t,” he promised, hugging back just as fiercely, hearing the unspoken words just as clearly as the spoken ones. He patted the ground next to them in an open invitation, watching the flesh eater sit down out of the corner of his eye. “I won’t, alright? Thank you for trusting me.” 

Rex hauled himself onto Logos’ lap, the pain in his body becoming more apparent as the adrenaline wore off. The position was a little uncomfortable but it was worth it if it calmed his blade down. They stayed embraced for a while, the only sounds around them being their breathing and the gentle rustle of the grass. Logos eventually pulled back, wiping the stray tears out of his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to care about the eventual embarrassment he would feel over blubbering like an idiot. 

"Jin..." Rex trailed off awkwardly, finally addressing the elephant in the room.

"Rex." Jin responded, a small smile on his face. He relaxed, tension seeping out of his muscles immediately. Chuckling, he shook his head fondly.

"I'm glad to see you again. I would ask how you managed to survive but I really can say that stranger things have happened."

“Indeed,” Jin said. “Thank you for that. I’ve been holding him off ever since he appeared in Gormott. You gave Pyra quite the scare.” 

“Huh?”

“I was following you and Nia to Aletta,” Jin said. “I jumped after you when you were blown off the titan, managing to catch you as you fell. Unfortunately, all the land on Torna is too high up so I had to find a titan to get you to, which was Gormott. I passed out once I reached one of the lower areas.”

Logos let out a wolf whistle. “You swam all the way from Torna to here? I’m surprised you were even able to fight.” 

“Oh that’s right! Did you happen to see what knocked me over?”

“I’m not sure. It could have been just wind but nothing about this situation is remotely normal,” Jin said. 

“You can say that again,” Rex murmured. "Thank you. For saving my life."

Jin nodded, glancing around. "Never thought I'd find myself back here.... I still can’t quite believe it.” 

Logos snorted. “Neither did I. I don’t suppose you have any idea how we got here?”

“I do, actually. But we need to find Mythra first,” he replied. "I don't feel like explaining myself twice."

“Which one?” Rex asked. “Although now that I think about it, they’re both probably in Aletta.”

“Both, preferably,” He said, adding his next phrase almost like an afterthought. “I may or may not have met the third Aegis.”

“Ontos? You met Ontos? But isn’t he in a different universe?”

Jin raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”

Rex groaned, letting his head fall back. “Why do I have a feeling that this entire situation got infinitely more complicated?”

“You don’t know half of it. But this is something that we can discuss in the morning. It’s best that we take a rest for now,” Jin said. Rex attempted to climb out of his blade’s lap but was stopped by the vice grip that was Logos’ arms. 

“Can I just hold you? Please?” 

“What am I, some sort of comfort stuffed animal?” Rex grumbled with no real heat, settling back against the blade’s broad chest. “Careful now. Keep being this comfortable and I’ll be tempted to fall asleep.”

“As if you didn’t sleep in my arms for the better part of a week,” Logos teased. 

“Don’t look at me like that! I was injured and you make a really good pillow. Your body is so… squishy.” Rex said. Jin snorted, shaking his head.

“Squishy huh? That’s a new one…” He said, throwing his head back. “Rest, Rex. You did good out there.” 

Rex nodded and curled up, yawning. Logos ran his hand through his hair, watching intently as his driver’s breathing evened out. Affection curled in his stomach at the peaceful look on Rex’s face. 

“So…” Jin said quietly, eye flickering between him and Rex. 

“Shut up…” he murmured, face flushing a dark purple. “I’m… glad you’re here. All things considered.”

“Me too. I was expecting to be alone in this,” Jin admitted, watching the sun set in the distance. “... Do you know if the others survived?”

“No. And I’m not counting on it,” he said, looking away. “Part of me hopes they’re alive but it’s a long shot.”

“Yeah,” Jin said. He gestured towards Rex. “How exactly did that… happen?”

“He got drugged by Indol, although I don’t think he really noticed,” Logos said. “Took me quite a while to filter it out of his bloodstream, too. As for our bond… it just kinda happened on its own.”

“Drugged?”

“I think it was meant for… Malos. The only thing I know for sure is that it prevented me from establishing an ether link with him immediately,” Logos sighed. “Are you bothered by it?”

“That he’s your driver? No. That’s your choice and your choice alone,” Jin said. “I am bothered by the fact that Indol has their hands on a drug with that power. They shouldn’t even remotely be able to develop something like that. Even Amalthus in the future didn’t have his hands in this particular area of blade science.”

“Who knows? Now that history has been changed, anything’s possible. Especially if Ontos is involved like you said,” Logos said. “I’m sure my efforts to stop certain things from happening have undoubtedly contributed to the chaos as well.”

“Malos…”

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m not going to let Lora die again,” he said, looking away. “...I go by Logos now.”

“I know. It’s going to take a little getting used to,” Jin sighed. “We’re going to have one hell of a mess to explain. Hugo is aware that we’re here; apparently Morag made quite the impression on his bedroom door. Literally.”

“Great,” Logos said, craning his neck to the side. “So would it be safe to assume that Addam and Lora are going to know too? I can’t imagine he would keep something like that from them.”

“Possibly. Like I said, I was trailing Rex and Nia after they ran into Minoth just outside of the desert. He didn’t seem to buy their story and I have no doubt he’s already reported his suspicions to Addam,” 

“Minoth…” Logos trailed off, shaking his head. He glanced down when Rex shifted, stretching his legs out to hang off his body. “That’s going to be a problem. He always liked to poke his nose into business that wasn’t his.”

“It’s more than just that. If Addam doesn’t listen to reason, then we’re going to have trouble moving around without getting caught. And that’s putting it lightly.”

Logos grimaced. He buried his hand in Rex’s hair, running his fingers through the brown mop absentmindedly. “And it’s not like he’ll believe us if we tell him we just killed my past self. Especially if Hugo or any of the others spill about the events of the future.”

“Yeah. I hope you're aware that they’ll target Rex first,” Jin said. “It doesn’t matter how much he fights or argues. They aren’t going to believe him due to his age. What is he, fifteen? Sixteen?”

“I don’t know honestly. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t want him to be my driver at first. He’s been through enough as it is, especially because of me,” He said quietly, looking away. “I’ve seen the scarring on his torso. It’s... I’m honestly surprised he still has feeling in some places.”

“That bad, huh?” Jin questioned, resting his chin on his hands. Logos closed his eyes and nodded, swallowing heavily. 

“He told me that he didn’t know if he would be a good driver for me. That he didn’t know if he was the right person to help me,” He whispered, voice breaking slightly. “Honestly, that’s not the issue here. I don’t think I’m going to be a good blade for him. He’s going to suffer just because he’s associated with me. I’m… I...”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” Jin said, watching as Rex unconsciously pulled Logos’ hand closer to him. “I think you’ll be just fine.”

“I hope you’re right, for once,” He replied, pulling his driver closer to his body. “He’s been put through far too much for someone so young.”

“Do you think he…” Jin started before shaking his head. “Nevermind. It’s nothing.”

“Do you think I what?” Rex murmured, stretching his limbs out. 

“How long have you been awake?” Jin asked. 

“Uhhh… Like two seconds?” Rex replied, words slurred slightly. His eyes fluttered open. “Seriously. What’s on your mind?”

“About earlier… I formed a connection with you to make sure you stayed safe. I don’t think I’m going to be comfortable with having a driver. I don’t mind fighting alongside you but…”

Rex snorted. “I mean, I figured as much. I'd be more surprised if you asked me to be your driver.”

“You’re not bothered by it?”

“Why would I be? I have, what, five blades now between Logos, Pyra, Mythra, Nia, and Roc? That’s enough for me. I’m just glad that I don’t have to face you in battle anymore. You’re insanely powerful,” he said. “Speaking of which, you’ve got to teach me how to do that one art. You know, the one where you do a full driver combo.”

Jin raised an eyebrow. “You think you’re going to be fast enough? It’s not easy.”

“Are you challenging me?” Rex said, grinning. He glanced to the side, face falling slightly.

“What’s wrong, Rex?” Jin asked. Logos moved his arm as his driver sat up, gazing out in the distance.

“Do you feel that?” He asked. “It feels like something big.”

Logos followed his gaze. He had to concentrate a little bit but he could feel it; a massive disturbance in the ether. It had to have been several thousand kilometers away on another titan.

“That feels like Pyra,” Rex said, standing up shakily. 

“I don’t feel anything,” Jin said, blinking.

“Trust me on this. I know what I’m feeling,” Rex said. “I need to get over there. She needs me.”

Logos scoffed. “She can handle herself just fine.”

Rex suppressed the annoyance threatening to bubble up. “That's not what I mean. If she’s releasing her power like that, it means there’s a threat big enough to warrant revealing her identity.”

“Kid, you stick out like a sore thumb. There’s no way you could have stayed hidden for any length of time.” Jin pointed out.

“I know, alright? We’re doing that best we can with the information we have,” Rex said, frustrated. It amazed him how they could go from cordial chatting to tense interactions seemingly in the blink of an eye. He took a deep breath, willing his anger to fade. There were bigger fish to fry. “Can you teleport us there, Logos? From this distance?”

“As long as I can clearly imagine where we need to go, yes. But with how exhausted I am, I can only do it once. We won’t be able to escape if we go there,” Logos said.

“That’s fine. Might as well bite the bullet now,” Rex said. “How does this work, then?”

“Just hold onto me. Are you coming, Jin?” Logos asked. The flesh eater snorted.

“I already told you that I needed to find Mythra,” he replied, looping his arm around Logos’ waist. 

“I’m here for you, alright? Don’t forget what I said to you,” Rex said. Logos cursed inwardly, waving a hand in front of his face. Two seconds his ass. 

“Yeah yeah yeah. Whatever. Let’s go,” He murmured. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In a show of hands, how many people did I freak out with that chapter summary and AN? 
> 
> Rex gains another blade…? Kind of. Honestly I’m still not sure what to do with Future!Jin to be completely honest. He wasn’t supposed to come back but the muse wanted him alive and the muse gets what it wants.
> 
> So, just purely out of curiosity… What do you think the end game ships are going to be? I’ll give you a big fat hint; one of the most popular ships that this fandom basically worships as canon will NOT be included. 
> 
> I hope you guys have had an amazing holiday season (or continue to have a good one). This was probably one of the worst for me due to Miss Rona and non - Miss Rona reasons. (Don’t worry; myself and my immediate family are just fine/negative.)


	10. “The lonely one offers his hand too quickly to whomever he encounters.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *pulls off headset dramatically after the producer rolls a nat 20 to throw a book at my face to get my attention* what do you mean I can’t Assassin’s Creed my way into an interesting plot????!!!!
> 
> *angry murmuring occurs. I storm out of the room* Imma do that anyways. You get a dead body. I get a dead body. Everyone here gets a dead body! Has this story earned an M rating yet? If it hasn’t, it sure has now!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ramblings of me on five hours of sleep and 16+ hour school day aside, here is the next chapter. A lot of things are happening all at once. 
> 
> Ohhhhhh boyyyyyyy. I have been fearing this chapter because it deals with the loreTM and these games' lore is insanely complicated. If you notice something blatantly wrong (like me saying Melia is an Aegis or something to that effect), please comment! Even if you're just confused about something, please comment! I'm early enough into the story that I can retcon things if need be. 
> 
> Quote comes from Friedrich Nietzsche.
> 
> My jams: Brewing Storm (XC2), Elysium in the Dream (XC2), A Portent Crawling Over (XC2), Where we Used to be (XC2), Disquiet (XC1), Past from a far Distance (XC2). 
> 
> Also, there will probably be a lot of typos/weirdness in this chapter. I haven't had the time to put this in google translate and have it read back to me. Please comment if you notice something weird!

_═════════•°• Gran Dell, Bionis Shoulder •°•═════════_

Radzam tsked, kneeling down to inspect the flowers. Their once brilliant blue shine was dulled, the petals frail and slightly browned at the end. It was a shame, too; Mystic Dahlias were truly beautiful when they were in bloom. Unfortunately, since it wasn’t native to this land, the water content and the nutrients in the soil were not enough for it to survive well. Perhaps Ines would have some fertilizer? She had mentioned wanting to gather ingredients to stimulate the growth of crops and It would be such a shame for such a beautiful flower to fully wither away. He stood up, discomfort blooming in his shoulder. Frowning, he rolled the joint, wincing as pain pulsed sharply anytime he pressed back.

“Ah. I forgot you Machina were more… durable,” A voice said behind him. Before he could turn around, electricity cackled along the wound on his shoulder. Radzam’s limp body fell to the ground, the smell of burning wires starting to permeate in the area. The figure retreated into the shadows, climbing up the stairs circling around the main area. Body after body tumbled to the ground as he maneuvered his way around the small hamlet. Nestior was the second to go. For some reason, the brat had been drawn to him since they had come to settle on (read: ejected onto) the Shoulder. The Homs brat (Angela, he wanted to say her name was) and her nosy friends were next. They didn’t necessarily bother him when he returned from his patrols but they got in the way, nonetheless, with their shrieking laughter and constant play. Arara and Sarja saddened him slightly. They had been the nicest to him; Sarja always offered him homemade bread and Arara always seemed to know when he needed someone to sit in silence with. But it had to be done; they had been brainwashed by the Machina who lived in the village. The only way that they could be saved was in death.

The remaining denizens had caused him little trouble. Really, it was all too laughably easy to dispatch the people of Gran Dell. Not that he was expecting much resistance in the first place. The guards, if you could even call them that, didn’t know what hit them and were down before they could even process his presence. These were the ones that foolishly trained under Lar’shen. And the villagers? Easy pickings. Most had never seen combat in their lives, mush less from a member of the Royal Guard.

He rounded the corner, knocking on a door before slipping into the shadows. There was one Machina who had managed to elude him so far. The sneaky bastard always seemed to know something was up about him, so much so that he had never left him alone, even when he was training with the other guards. He smirked as Voqzen stumbled out his house almost in a slight panic. The last of the thorns embedded in his side. The Machina glanced around, squinting. Voqzen’s eyes roamed over where he was hiding, pausing to stare right at him before turning his back and heading further into the town. He followed closely, resisting the urge to giggle at the Machina’s distraught expression as they passed by an increasing number of bodies.

“Go ahead, Gael'gar. I will not resist what you are so hellbent on doing. I have lived my life to its fullest,” he said, not looking back. 

He snorted, raising his weapon. “You’re a fool, Vaqzen.” 

“You are the fool,” Voqzen said, closing his eyes as the sword was driven through his heart. “Killing the very people you ah- consider your family. Your home.”

“No. You are the fool,” Gael'gar said, stumbling backwards. “I’ve never had a family and I never will.”

After confirming his kill, he dashed off towards the stream outside Tranquil Tarn. While he had some time to spare, he didn’t want to get caught by anyone when he was so close to realizing his dreams. Stripping his bloodied clothes off, he flung them into the rapidly moving water, watching with a satisfied expression as they sailed off the side of the Shoulder, falling steadily towards the surface. Shivering, he sunk down to his shoulders and washed his body of the evidence, mindful of his wings. Once he was satisfied, he stepped out and shook himself dry, pulling the discreetly placed bag from behind a rock. He slipped into his regular clothes, nestling his weapons on his side. As Gael'gar exited the area to Gran Dell, he failed to notice two Nopon with flags watching him leave from behind a large rock, fur matted and bloodied. 

The path back to Companion’s Cape was quiet and uneventful. The night time was calming to him, the stars and constellations lighting his path. It always had been, especially when he was a child and his sorry excuse of a mother would beat him almost to death over his failure to do much of anything. Not that he really cared much about her, considering she had turned into one of those hideous beasts. She deserved every bit of hell that the transformation and life entailed. And his father died of disease before he reached his twenty-fifth birthday. Gael'gar doubted that he would have made any lasting impact; Homs were incredibly short-sighted due to their short lifespans. He shook his head, rushing as fast as his legs would carry him. 

There was no need to dwell on the past, after all. Not when he was guaranteed to get what he always desired. 

“You’re back,” Maxis greeted, approaching warily. He took note of the other High Entia’s gleeful demeanor and nonchalant attitude. “What took you so long?”

“I ran into some trouble while tracking down the research notes,” Gael'gar said, disappearing inside one of the small enclaves in their agreed meeting spot. He had asked Maxis to meet him here in case some of the other Companion's were smart enough to put two and two together. Assuming they found about Gran Dell, that is. “It didn’t cause me much strife to dispatch but it did delay my travels slightly. Despite this, I have completed my mission successfully. Have the scouts noticed any odd movements near the abandoned lab?” 

“No. The Shoulder is quiet and unmoving. They did not even find traces of your friends,” he replied. “Why? Do you have something in mind?”

Gael'gar emerged from the makeshift house, bag stuffed full of what appeared to be rations. “Well, let’s just say I received a package from our… friends. They discovered some rather interesting information. I dare say that it will give us the edge we need to accomplish our mission in full.”

“Please tell me you aren’t going to do anything reckless,” he replied. “We don’t want blood on our hands anymore than necessary.”

“Oh heavens no. The rest of our race will serve their purpose, I assure you,” Gael'gar said, pressing a hardcover book into Maxis’ chest as he walked by. “This contains everything that you need to know. I will need a decision made soon.”

“... I understand.” Maxis said, discomfort painting his face. He watched the High Entia walk away, calling out to him. “What of the citizens of Gran Dell? How do they fare?”

Something about the expression on Gael'gar’s face sent chills down his spine. “They’re just fine.” He paused. “There are some loose ends that I need to tie up. Meet me by our headquarters in a week’s time at sunrise. If I’m not there to greet you personally, assume I’ve failed the mission.”

Maxis sighed, his clothing seeming to weigh his shoulders down with his exhale. He searched around for a comfortable place to read, the book in his arms strangely heavy. 

  
  


_═════════•°• Bionis Shoulder •°•═════════_

  
  


The late morning sun found their rather large group sitting in a circle. Tora plopped down next to Poppi, separating her from the curious human in red, or Homs as they called themselves. Was his name Shulk…? They had introduced themselves the night previous but the amount of people in their group gave Tora a headache. There was one name he did, however, remember.

“Shulk, do you remember when I showed you the origin of this world’s creation?” Alvis asked, rolling his neck around. Yes, the one with the Aegis’ core crystal. He interested Tora very much.

“A little bit. It’s been a while,” Shulk admitted, crossing his arms in front of his body. 

“I once told you that the curiosity of a single man, Klaus, destroyed the universe he had lived in and birthed the one we live in today,” Alvis said. The name sounded familiar to Tora but he couldn’t put his wing on it. “That much is true. However, that is not the entire truth.” 

“The entire truth? Whatever do you mean?” Melia said, a hardened expression on her face. It reminded Tora of the face Morag had when dealing with official business relating to the Empire. 

“When Klaus activated the Conduit, a source of infinite energy, he created not one but two universes, accidentally splitting his soul across both in the process. In our world, he was known as Zanza. In the other, he called himself the Architect.”

“Meh meh meh!” Tora exclaimed, wings flapping up and down frantically. “Tora know all about Architect! Friends of Tora and Tora climb World Tree to meet him! Was very nice fellow in end!”

“PoppiQTπ remember. Klaus sat in air with half of his body covered in darkness,” the blade said. “He looked very sad. Like he regret something.” 

Alvis continued, resting his head back against a tree. “The Conduit followed the part of his soul known as the Architect due to his proximity to Rhadamanthus, the place where it was stored. That is where I originated, actually. I was one of three AI cores placed in the Trinity Processor, a machine meant to maintain the Conduit’s power and protect it from those that wished to use its power for their own agenda.”

“Wow…” Shulk said, eyes positively shining with intrigue as he leaned forward. Tora very much empathized with him. “I always thought there was something special about you. So there are three of you? Where are they now?”

“Well, you see, this is where things get... complicated,” Alvis said. “If either part of Klaus’ soul ceased to exist, then that means both parts would die. The Conduit would likely leave with his passing, destroying our world and leaving the other world in a state of mass disarray.”

“What Seer man mean?” Evelen asked. 

“If my siblings had killed the Architect before you had encountered Zanza, then this universe would have likely disappeared. If we defeated Zanza first, the other world would still exist but not without major problems. It’s possible I could have salvaged it but I would have needed access to the Conduit in order to do so,” Alvis explained. “Luckily for all of us, we completed our journeys at around the same time. There was a brief moment near the end where both universes were close enough that I could reach out towards the Conduit and use my powers to create a new one. Which I attempted to do.”

“Attempted to?” Shulk asked, blinking. “But you succeeded!”

“Partially,” Alvis stated. “I don’t think I was entirely successful, given that there are so many errors. The existence of the Fogbeasts demonstrates that not all is right, for one. And there are many smaller coincidences that are adding up to a much larger and terrifying picture.”

“So many things wrong…?” Nene asked. “Nene no see what Mister Alvis talk about. World seem perfectly fine to Nene!”

“...I seemed to have sent my siblings and their companions back into the past,” Alvis sighed, shaking his head. “That wasn’t intentional in the slightest. Secondly, many of the measures the Architect put into place to cleanse the world still exist when they should not.”

“Back into past? What friend mean?” Tora asked. 

“Let’s just say I sent them far enough back that I now have six siblings instead of two,” he replied. “That’s partially why I avoided answering your first question, Shulk. The names they were given by Klaus and Galea were Pneuma and Logos but, as I understand, they go by different names now. Some of them even share the same name.”

“Far enough back… Poppi not understand,” PoppiQTπ said. “What does Ontos mean by that?”

“Ontos…? Heh,” the seer said, eyes half lidded. “That’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time. But I digress. An informant of mine said around five hundred years, give or take.”

“Back to time of Torna, the Golden Country?” Tora asked, settling back. 

“I do believe so,” Alvis replied. 

“You mentioned the name Galea. Who’s that?” Melia asked, wings fluttering in the wind. 

“She was a scientist who worked alongside Klaus. You knew her as Lady Meyneth,” he replied, closing his eyes. Tora’s face fell slightly. For all intents and purposes, Alvis appeared normal. But he noticed that the Aegis almost had this… melancholy sound to his voice. 

Almost like he was talking about something that made him sad.

“I see…” Shulk said. “So since you said you partially succeeded, does that mean we’re all in the same world now?”

“Tora wonder the same thing,” he said. 

“We are indeed in the same universe. We’re even on the same planet, albeit different parts.”

“What?” Poppiα said, eyes flashing in delight. “Rex Rex and friends here too?”

Alvis nodded. “Indeed. There were three bean stalks, or space elevators, that made up the Low Orbit Station. I mentioned one before: Radamanthus, which was known as the World Tree. There are two others, however; Aeacus and Minōs. When this universe was created, the existence of all three were preserved. Currently, we are located between Aeacus and Minōs.”

“Wait a moment. Dunban mentioned something about a giant tree found to the south of the Bionis Remains. Is that…?” Melia trailed off, humming in contemplation.

“Indeed. That one is Aeacus, for reference,” he said, turning to Tora. “The titans of your world are circling Radamanthus as we speak. They are located quite a ways away, unfortunately.”

“Poppi is happy to know friends okay. That enough for Poppi,” she said, nodding.

“I don’t mean to be rude… but why didn’t you tell us about this? It’s not like your existence as a… computer is anything new,” Melia asked. “And this is not insignificant information. There are entire countries out there that I had no idea existed.”

“I did not wish to involve you in matters that are, quite frankly, not yours to deal with at the present moment,” Alvis said. “It was my failures that led us into this situation in the first place and it was my intention to clean them up alone. However, that’s besides the point. You all have sacrificed much to see this world thrive. I owe it to you all to ensure that you have a chance to witness it yourself.”

“You didn’t fail at all, Alvis,” Shulk said, giving what he hoped was a reassuring expression.

Alvis’ lips fell into a thin artificial smile. “I beg to differ. But I digress, once again. This situation is one of the biggest reasons I accompanied you to the Shoulder in the first place. I had a feeling that something was amiss here and I was right.”

“And you couldn’t foresee it?” Shulk asked. He shook his head. 

“No. You have noticed that you have been receiving less visions ever since Zanza’s reign?”

Alvis sighed. “My own visions have weakened, too. I was being serious when I said that I am the Monado and the Monado is me. It is an extension of myself,” He glanced slyly at Tora. “Not entirely unlike a blade weapon.”

“So that weapon you summoned…” Shulk started. 

“Meyneth’s Monado,” Melia supplied. 

Alvis nodded. “Indeed. It is me, much like every version of it that has ever appeared.”

Silence fell over the group as they processed the information. “That’s... quite the story. I can’t say I understand anything that was just said,” Melia said, taking a deep breath. “But I’ll take your word for it for the time being.”

“You can say that again,” Kino murmured.

“That’s understandable. I will repeat information as many times as needed,” Alvis said. “How is the boy doing, by the way? He’s barely moved an inch since we started speaking.”

“Mister Teelan still sleeping! Wounds took Kino long time to heal,” Kino said. “Would be smart idea to wake Mister Teelan up. It late even for child!”

Shulk chuckled, letting the tension ease out of his body. “Of course. Didn’t he say that he had a lab somewhere in the Shoulder?”

“Dry-dry MUST see what lab has to OFFER,”

“Why must friends drag Tei-Tei all around…?”

“Tei-Tei too TIMID. Be more like DRY-DRY!”

“Evelen thinks Tei-Tei and Dry-Dry need to stuff sock in mouths…”

“Kino and Nene agree. On count of three, one… two… Three!” 

Melia chortled. “Now now, let’s not bully the Ponspectors. Remember that they’re looking for the rest of their team, too.” 

“True. Should we try and head out today, then?” Shulk asked. 

“I believe that would be most wise of us,” Alvis said.

“It’s settled then. We head out to Teelan’s lab,” Melia said. “Nene, if you would…?”

“Of course, Miss Melia,” the nopon said, bounding over to the sleeping child. “Wakey Wakey, Mister Teelan.”

“Five more minutes…” the child grumbled, pouting. He stretched out languidly before jolting up suddenly, eyes wide. “Oh no! I have to get back to the lab!”

“Hold Ponio’s there, Mister Teelan,” Nene said. “Friends travel together with Nene. Friend still tired from scuffle in capital.”

“But the lab’s a mess,” he said, a yawn betraying his facade. “You won’t be able to get in at all if I don’t go ahead.”

“Then we will just wait outside while you clear out space for us,” Alvis said. “It would be no trouble to us.”

“Hrm. If you’re certain…” Teelan murmured. “When are we leaving?”

“We just discussing that. Is friend hungry?” Tora asked. “Tora would offer food but Tora already eat all of rations!”

“I’m good. What’s up with the strange Machina?” the child asked. “And why do you look different from yesterday?” 

“Poppiα is not Machina. Poppiα is blade,” she said, tilting her head to the side. “Poppi have three forms: Poppiα, PoppiQT, and PoppiQTπ. Poppiα is base form.”

“Whoa. That’s so cool,” Teelan said, eyes shining. “You’ve got to tell me more when we’re on the road. It’ll take us a couple of hours to get to the lab.”

“Tentoo take word for it,” the nopon took a deep breath. “WE MEASURE! FIND TREASURE! PONSPECTORS TILL WE DIE.”

“PONSPECTORS... AWAY!”

Shulk winced. He sincerely hoped that they wouldn’t be repeating that phrase too often. True to word, it did end up taking them several hours to approach the lab. While the others engaged in small talk, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had made a mistake. It almost felt like he had just swallowed a large piece of lead that slid down his throat at a painfully slow pace. If every version of the Monado was Alvis, then the time when Alvis asked what he wanted the universe to look like as its new God… Had he sent some other, unintended message? He hadn’t wanted anything to do with being a God and that was something that hadn’t changed. No one singular person should have that amount of power. But he couldn’t help but wonder if he had inadvertently sent another message. If the rejection of Godhood was also the rejection of something else. Of something much deeper.

He wasn’t stupid. Alvis was much more emotional than he cared to admit. And even he noticed that Alvis regarded him differently out of all the people he interacted with. 

If only he knew what that _meant_. What being the wielder of the Monado meant to him.

“Wait a minute,” Shulk said, stopping. “When did we get another Ponspector?”

“Silly Mister Shulk. Friends get two ponspectors!” Nene said, grinning. “Did not pay attention when friends ask help?”

He chuckled. “I guess not. I’m sorry but what are your names again?”

“Fofora is Fofora! This is friend Faifa. We ponspectors,”

“Friend seem out of it. Missed nasty tussle with Kromars,” Kino said. Shulk sent a questioning glance towards Melia.

“I tried to get your attention but you were off in your own world.” she supplied offhandedly.

“I see. I’m sorry if I worried you,” he said. “I’ll try my best to pay better attention.”

“Please do so. We don’t need you wandering off a cliffside because you’re too lost in your own head,” Alvis said, a tinge of concern in his voice. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“It’s… nothing,” Shulk said, closing his eyes briefly. “Rather, it's something that I need to think about for myself before I try to bring it up.”

“ I’m sure-”

“What on Bionis happened over there?” Teelan exclaimed, sprinting ahead of the group. Tentoo stopped dead in his tracks; the same could not be said of the other Ponspectors, who tripped over themselves to create a giant pile of limbs and fur. PoppiQT darted off after the High Entia who had disappeared onto a small outreach. Shulk grimaced, the pungent smell of burnt fuel hitting his nose.

“That’s no good,” Kino said, hiding behind Melia’s foot.

“You can say that again,” Melia murmured, wings drooping slightly.

Teelan’s voice screeched loudly throughout the quiet plain. The boy feel to his knees, pulling a limp body onto his lap. “Oh no! BIG SIS! Big Sis…! Wake up! Please wake up!”

“Oh no,” Alvis said, running towards Teelan. He could hear the footsteps of the others follow.

“Tyrea…?” Melia questioned, awe apparent in her voice. The seer knelt down, turning over Tyrea’s limp body. Small lacerations littered her pale face, a purplish-blue bruise painting her forehead. While not serious, the cuts were oozing with excess ether, which pooled out onto her bare skin. Looking around the area, he could find no signs of a struggle at all. He couldn’t even see any discernible footsteps or other indicators of what attacked. 

This was undeniably the job of someone who knew what they were doing. Could it be a former member of the Order who seeked revenge? Or someone else entirely?

“This was not result of monster,” PoppiQT said. “Poppi detect residue of ignitable substance.”

“I see,” Melia said, clutching her staff close to her. She summoned water ether and cast Healing gift, the water seeping into Tyrea’s unconscious body. The cuts adorning her face sealed themselves away, a faint white scar the only trace of their existence. 

“Miss Stranger still alive! She breathing!” Kino said, scurrying to her body. “Methinks she need more ether! Bird people almost always need more ether! Kino need pure water type crystals!”

“Let’s take her back to Companions Cape, then. I remember seeing a water type ether crystal deposit there. We can rest in the vicinity of the Junks if we don’t get there before nightfall. This place is not safe for her,” Alvis said, pulling the limp High Entia’s body into his arms.

“We can cut across that way,” Teelan said, pointing to the path behind them. “There are some pretty big Makna Brogs there but they’re usually docile.”

“I see. And what of the lab?” Shulk asked, wincing at how that might come across. “Er. Not that I’m not concerned about Tyrea.”

“Lab burnt down to foundation,” PoppiQT said. “There nothing left but burnt chucks of metallic substance and charred wood.”

“I don’t understand,” Melia said. “Why would someone target a lab out in the middle of nowhere?”

“I don’t know,” Alvis said, pocketing a stray feather that lay innocently on the ground. “But I think we might find out with time.”

_═════════•°• •°•═════════_

Mikhail felt like he was in a dream. One of those dreams where the world around you was undoubtedly the one you live in but with just enough differences to let you know that something was off. Something about the landscape or the wildlife or the people would be different and you would think ‘Oh, that’s not quite right’. Except for him, this was his reality.

This land, the Remains of the Bionis, was a sight to behold. It was full of life he had never seen before. When he opened his eyes for the first time since the World Tree, the night sky filled with soft pillars of yellow light was the sight to greet him. And what a sight to behold it was. He had nearly gotten frostbite from his awe as he stared, mesmerized, at the ice crystals. He had thought he had ended up in some off version of hell at first. But upon running into other people who were very much alive, he quickly realized that he was in fact not dead. Nor was he in hell. 

He was in a different world entirely. A world absent of blades and filled with other sentient species. The people of Valak Mountain that he had encountered were Homs, apparently, not humans. There were the High Entia, those with wings on their head, and the Machina, or machine people. The only thing that reminded him of the world he left was the Nopon. Even then, from the few that he had already seen, even they were different. Different speech patterns, different mannerisms. They even had new, different fur colors. He couldn't recall ever seeing a nopon with a neon green coat before. 

“Dunban! Look!” He heard Fiora call. “Is that the Junks?”

“I do believe so. Mik, do you think we could land here?” the Homs called. Mikhail glanced down, analyzing the land below. 

“We should be able to but it won’t be the easiest of landings with this thing,” he warned, circling the area. “There are some people camping in the space right next to the ship so I’ll have to take a chance with the lightly forested area.”

“Peoples camping…?” Oka murmured, wiggling around in Fiora’s arms. “Wait. That Nene and Kino! And other friends!”

“Are you sure?” Dunban asked. “I can’t see them. It's too dark.”

“Riki cannot see either but Riki trust Oka. Oka taught Kino how to shoot rifle. Oka sharp shot,” Riki replied, hovering in the air. 

“Other friends?” Mikhail asked. 

“Did Linada not tell you what you were doing?” Sharla asked.

“No. She just told me that a group needed a pilot,” Mikhail said, humming. “I knew she was up to something…”

“Up to something?” Reyn asked. 

“Yeah,” Mikhail said. “She was the one who rescued my sorry ass from my own stupidity. I guess she wanted to make sure I stayed out of trouble.”

“I see. Well, you’ll fit in just fine with us,” Sharla said with amusement, glancing out of the corner of her eyes towards Reyn. “You and Reyn will get along just fine.”

“Excuse me? What’s that supposed to mean?” Reyn asked. 

“You guys might want to sit down and buckle up,” Mikhail warned, preparing the ship to land. Of course, given his luck with things, It turned out that he had been worried for nothing; the landing proceeded smoothly and without incident. Mikhail breathed a sigh of relief, inwardly cheering at the successful turn of events. Despite how much pain it caused him, some part of him was glad that he was a blade eater. An innate understanding of machines was a skill that proved to be extremely valuable, especially since he found himself in a strange place. 

It did have some drawbacks, however. He hadn’t quite expected Linada to immediately throw him into a variety of ships and other situations to prove that he, in fact, had an innate understanding of how machines worked. How she ascertained that it stemmed from the core crystal buried into his chest, he would never know. How she even knew he had a core crystal in the first place would be something he'd like to know as well. 

“Not the easiest of landings, you say?” Dunban asked, smirking as they disembarked. “I dare say that was perfect.”

Mikhail rolled his eyes. “Hey, I was just trying to make sure you guys didn’t lose your lunch. Literally.”

“Kino! Nene! Mamapon here!” Oka cried, rushing off towards her children.

“Dadapon here too!” Riki echoed, running after his wife.

“How adorable. I wouldn't have expected Riki to have a family already when he's so young,” Mikhail mused, trailing behind the group. He had hoped to avoid getting drawn into conversation but it seemed that his luck ran out when Sharla approached. 

“I know,” Sharla said. “They’re also not as young as they seem, however. Did you know that Riki is almost forty two?”

Mikhail spluttered, glancing at the group of Nopon forming. “Forty two? Damn. They got to tell me their anti-aging secrets.”

“They also have seven or eight children between them,” Sharla said. “Kino, the green one, is adopted.”

Mikhail whistled, gazing at the family. He blinked rapidly, pushing the vestiges of feelings that he hadn’t felt in years away. It wasn’t time to think about that right now. “That’s a lot of kids. Then again, most Nopon families are the same.”

“Why Kino and Nene leave like that? Mamapon was so worried,” Oka said, tears welling in her eyes. 

“Mamapon! Kino s- s- sorry!” He cried, sniffling. “Kino j-j just wa-want to be Heropon! Like Dadapon!”

“Kino already Heropon! Kino work hard to save lives!” Riki exclaimed. “Heropon not just rushing out to fight big bad. Traits of Heropon also mean helping other heal. Why you think Dadapon learn secret special technique to help friends?”

“Don’t blame Kino, Mamapon. Dadapon,” Nene said, eyes downcast. “This Nene’s fault. Nene should have stopped Kino.”

“It not fault of Kino or Nene. Nene was just being good big sisterpon. It fault of Mamapon for not keeping eye on all of littlepon,” 

“Also fault of Dadapon. We are sorries,”

“What an interesting family…” Mikhail mused. 

Dunban chuckled. “Yes. They most certainly are. Since you seem to know of Fiora and I, why don’t I introduce you to the rest of our group? It’s not everyday that you get to meet the saviors of the world.”

“Sure,” Mikhail said, shrugging. Linada had mentioned briefly that Dunban and his friends had saved the world from a mad god called Zanza some time ago. He hadn’t really paid attention since he had still been in awe from his surroundings. 

“Dunban! It’s been ages!” the man in red said, a strange mechanical sword strapped to his back. “I’m sorry that we worried you. We weren’t expecting to get shot out of the sky!”

Dunban shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. What matters now is only that you’re safe.”

The man’s eyes landed directly on him. “Whose that?”

“He’s our pilot. None of the regular colony folks are adept at wielding the Havres. All except him, that is.”

“Impressive, for a Homs,” Melia said. ”I’m Melia. What is your name?”

“You can call me Mik. Pleased to meet you,” he said before freezing when his sights landed on Tora and PoppiQT. He prayed that the Nopon would feign ignorance and pretend not to know him. 

“Nice. I’m Shulk. Pleased to meet you,” the man in red said. He gestured towards the rest of his party. “This is Alvis, Kino, and Nene. and these are the Ponspectors.”

He barely suppressed the look of surprise on his face once he locked onto the core crystal on Alvis’ chest. Given the knowing glint in the man’s eyes, it did not go unnoticed. He settled for an obvious statement in order to cover the storm of thoughts that threatened to escape from his mouth. “That’s a lot of Nopon.”

“You can say that again,” Alvis remarked. “While I’m grateful that we ran into you and that you came to rescue us, I’m afraid that we’ve run into a bit of trouble that we need to deal with first.”

“Oh? Is it anything that we can help you with?” Sharla asked.

"Yes. If you don't mind staying on the Shoulder for the foreseeable future, that is," Alvis replied.

Reyn scowled at Fiora's smug expression. "Now aren't you glad I harrassed you over bringing extra supplies~"

"Oi! I didn't ask for comments from the peanut gallery!" 

After the group settled down for the night, they quickly were enraptured in a discussion lasting several hours about their situation, catching up on everything that had happened since Shulk, Melia, and Alvis had left for the Shoulder. They departed for Companion's Cape shortly before dawn, arriving just as the late afternoon sun started to set. The villages living there were very accommodating, setting up a temporary area for Tyrea to rest while her body recovered. Since they couldn’t do much until the High Entia woke up, they collectively decided to have some downtime.

Mikhail used that time to do what he did best: observe what he could and ask questions when he didn’t understand something. He was able to pull some more information from the others. The woman, Tyrea, was apparently a former Assassin to the group known as the Bionite Order. She was also Melia’s half sister and an avid researcher into Telethia, which were the original forms of the High Entia. Dunban was a bit of a local hero and overall mentor figure to their group. Fiora was a kind soul that didn’t have a harsh word for anyone and who was lucky to be alive in her current state, given that she at one point was more machine than Homs. Sharla and Kino were healers of renown that knew their way around a rifle. Reyn was a bit of a dunderhead but arguably had the biggest heart of them all, always checking up on everyone to make sure they were okay. Melia, or rather, Empress Melia had struck him as the royal type which he confirmed by listening into their conversations. Riki and Oka's family was probably the strongest he had seen in awhile. The Ponspectors… were the Ponspectors. He didn’t think that he could explain them anymore than that. Alvis, though, intrigued him. A mysterious seer that undeniably held a core crystal on his chest but claimed to not be a blade when he managed to get him alone one night? An Aegis’ core crystal, to be precise? Malos had never gave him any indication that there was more than two Aegis'. Nor had Mythra.

What was Alvis' role? Why was he here and not in the world he came from? Why stitch the two universes together? Why was he trying to get into contact with Malos and Mythra? What did all of this mean? Mikhail's head hurt from just thinking about it. Alvis could give an answer for one question which then, in turn, created more questions. 

Before they knew it, a full week had passed. Tyrea's condition continued to improve but she remained stubbornly unconscious. He was honestly starting to get a little impatient with all the waiting around but he knew it couldn’t be helped.

“Mikhail.” A voice stated from behind him. He nodded in acknowledgement, not needing to look back to know who was speaking. He had shared brief and tense conversations with Tora anytime they were forced to interact with each other yet he had managed to avoid running into Poppi. However, confrontation was inevitable when you decide to act as allies.

“Poppi.” He greeted, unsure of what to say. What was there to say, though? 'I'm sorry for acting like a total dick and almost murdering all of your friends?' Or 'I wasn't trying to destroy the world but Amalthus needed to die because he tortured me and countless others and killed the people I considered family?' Yeah, he imagined that would bode really well.

The blade stared at him, blinking owlishly. He suppressed a shiver, willing himself to look at her directly. “Poppi glad Mikhail alive.”

He blinked once, his body freezing. That.. was the last thing he had expected to hear out of her mouth. His voice cracked as he spoke. “... Huh?”

“Poppi thought Masterpon and Poppi were alone in strange world. Now not alone,” She said.

“So you do know each other, then?” Dunban interrupted, a smug look on his face. Mikhail let out a world weary sigh, leaning back.

“It’s complicated,” he replied, eyes drooping. 

“Well, I can’t say that’s a surprise,” Dunban replied, chuckling. “You do have this otherworldly quality to you.”

“Trust me. Tora and friends very, _very_ familiar with Mikhail,” the nopon said.

“You traveled together, then?” 

“Not quite. Let’s just say that we had opposing ideals,” Mikhail said, chest burning with sadness. He missed his friends. He missed Akhos’ snark, Jin’s quiet but calm presence, Malos’ attempt at glaring, Patroka’s _everything_. 

Dunban hummed. “You’re not going to break out into a fight, are you?”

“No. I have no reason to fight them. Not anymore,” Mikhail said, bitterness seeping into his tone. Poppi sent him a sympathetic look, scooting closer to him.

"No," she agreed. "Masterpon and Poppi have no reason to fight Mikhail anymore. Both strangers to strange land. Friend should stick with Poppi. Poppi can protect friend."

"Friend?" He said with disbelief. "Now I can see why Rex likes you so much. And hey! I'll let you know that I can protect myself!"

"Poppi know that. But Mikhail is friend now. Which means Poppi will protect him at all costs," she said. "Does Dunban need something?"

"Oh. Yes. I didn't come over merely to be a voyeur. I came to inform you that Tyrea has woken up. And, true to herself, she's not taking any breaks," Dunban explained, helping Mikhail up. "Apparently, she got knocked out after coming back from Gran Dell, another settlement on the Shoulder."

"Did Tyrea see attacker?" Poppi asked as they walked.

"I don't know. I left before she could say," Dunban said, maneuvering out of the way of some of the residents. Mikhail looked ahead to see a very angry looking High Entia. He couldn't stop the fond smile from spreading on his face. 

“Ooh. When I find that stupid wench I’m going to stab him over and over until he begs for mercy. Or perhaps I will rip his nails off one by one until he screams,” Tyrea seethed.

“You knew who attacked you?” Fiora asked. 

“Yes. His name is Gael'gar. He was a part of the Royal Guard assigned to shadow the Emperor and his family anytime they left the palace. Melia’s journey with you lot was the only exception to that rule,” Tyrea explained.

“Did he, perchance, happen to hang around Companion’s Cape?” Alvis asked. 

She glowered before lowering her voice. “Yes. He and these ragtag group of traitors escaped to Companions Cape because they wanted nothing to do with the Machina trying to live peaceful lives in Gran Dell.”

"Traitors...?" Shulk asked. 

“It's a long story that I don't have the time for. I need to get back to Gran Dell. If I've been out for as long as you say I've been... then they've been expecting me for several days now,” Tyrea said.

“You just recovered from a serious injury, Tyrea! Be realistic about this!” Melia said. Tyrea stalked past her, shoving her aside. 

“Save it. I don’t need your pity. I shouldn’t have let my guard down like that,” Tyrea said. “Especially since I knew he still lived. Ugh! So stupid…”

“Tyrea!” Melia called, watching helplessly as her sister walked away. “Tyrea! What do you mean by that?”

Shulk put a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s follow her. She’s obviously too stubborn to reason with. The least we can do is make sure she stays safe.”

“I agree. Quickly, everyone pack your things. We leave in two minutes,” Dunban commanded. After a very frantic couple minutes of scrambling, they tore out of Companions Cape after Tyrea, unaware of two pairs of eyes on their party. 

“You didn’t have to follow me.” Tyrea said. 

“Except we did. This doesn’t just concern you,” Melia stated firmly.

“Ugh. Don’t give me a headache, foolish girl,” Tyrea murmured. The walk to Gran Dell was filled with a strange sense of quiet anticipation. All things considered, they should have no reason to believe that the hamlet would be any different than normal. But whether it was Tyrea's recovery, the strange situation with the Fog King, the otherwordly elements, or everything, Melia couldn’t shake the feeling that they were walking into something terrible. The Prospectors tried to keep their spirits up but their attempt at jokes and jibes fell flat. Even the wildlife seemed to pick up on the mood; normally aggressive monsters, like the Moramora's and Lexos, actively avoided getting in their path or within range of their weapons. The mood somehow got more somber as they passed through Thulles Way.

“Oka, what’s wrong?” Fiora asked, the gates of the small hamlet growing closer and closer. 

“Oka smell blood. Oka smell lots of blood,” she said. “Friends should tread very careful. Nene! Kino! Stick with Mamapon!”

“Ooooh Heropon Riki charge ahead. Heropon Riki save the day!”

Dunban grimaced, picking up the pace. “That’s not just blood. That’s the smell of rotting corpses.”

“Yeah. And not just one. There has to be a whole lot of them for it to be that strong,” Mikhail said, plugging his nose in a vain attempt to block out the smell.

They approached the outside of the gate cautiously, the stench almost unbearable at this point. They filed single file through the unlocked door, tentatively stepping into the ramparts. Aside from the stench, nothing seemed terribly wrong at first glance. Tyrea, Reyn and Alvis lead the group as they ventured further into the settlement. Fiora's eyes grew wide with horror as they came across the body of a Homs child.

"You poor thing..." she murmured, drawing her weapons. She wanted nothing more to bury the child but they couldn't afford to stop looking around until they had a better idea of what had gone on. As they got closer and closer to the main settlement, however, more and more partially decomposed bodies started appearing. Most seemed to have been killed with nothing more than a simple blow to the head with some type of blunt weapon. Others, however, had been gutted entirely, stray intestines, gallbladders, and lungs hap hazardously scattered on the ground. Pools of blood painted the ground a faded red to the point that an entire field's worth of land was stained red. Oka and Riki tried their best to shield Kino and Nene's eyes from the sight. 

Melia winced once her foot hit something solid. She looked down, eyes widening in horror, and gagged, bile lacing her tongue. The severed head of a Machina stared back at her, wide eyes and unflinching. A cursory glance around painted an even more gruesome image.

Carnage. Mass Murder. Indescribable cruelty. There was no other way to put it.

“No… It can’t be… “ Tyrea murmured, wings fanning out.

“What the hell happened here?” Mikhail asked, nausea settling in his throat. Just who were they dealing with?

_═════════•°• Laboratory 1, Indol, Alrest •°•═════════_

Haben fluttered inside the lab frantically, stacks of heavy paper pressed close to his chest, shuddering as the door closed. He could still hear the tortured screams of Subject Zero, even from clear on the other side of the building. He pitied the poor soul, truly; but that is what one gets for trying to betray the Praetor and the Prophet. He narrowly dodged an incoming pair of Indoline scientists who seemed to pay him no heed, too engrossed in conversation to pay attention to their surroundings. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the person he was looking for; the mysterious Prophet. They stood in the center of the room, watching over the team as they frantically tried to extract DNA from the tissue samples they had just received. Mapping the genome of familiar species was hard enough and not to mention time consuming; trying to do it for a species they had no idea existed until recently was even harder.

“Sir… I have the results of the experiments from Laboratory Two… “ He said, quivering as he approached. The Prophet turned towards him, reaching for the offered papers. They paged through the results, humming softly. He briefly wondered how he could possibly read much less understand the words on the page with how fast he was flipping through them.

“Excellent. Send Questor Amalthus my regards. He truly does have the mind of a scientist,” they said. He inwardly preened at the affectionate tone in their voice. “You have done well. Does Hugo suspect anything?”

“Not at all, sir. But I have found out something interesting that you might want to know about,” he said. “It appears we might have some.. Uh, time travelers in our midst.”

If he could see their face, Haben was certain that The Prophet was raising an eyebrow. “Time travelers? Do elaborate.”

“You see, I was tasked with taking care of one Morag Ladair and her blades. She claims to be the Special Inquisitor from the year 4059. Her blades are… Well, Aegaeon and Brighid. I almost didn’t believe her until Hugo’s own Aegaeon and Brighid appeared in the room too,” he said, shifting his weight between his hips. “Does this… does this impact our goals?”

They were silent for a moment, humming in contemplation. “It is a set back, for sure. Not even I could expect the people of my prophecies to show up in the flesh.”

“Sir?”

“It is true. Morag Ladair is the Special Inquisitor of Mor Ardain. However, she does not hail from the time she claims to come from,” they said, inclining their head forward. “She will replace the current Special Inquisitor no less than a year’s time. I’ve seen her many times in my dreams. Do you know what she does, dear Haben?”

He whimpered, The Prophet’s voice infused with a sudden chill. “No sir, I don’t. Please tell me.”

They tut, shaking their massive head. “She stands atop the World Tree aside dear sweet Hugo, commanding her fleet of Ardainian Warships as Indol is brought to its knees, watching gleefully as our great nation and our citizens burn to ash,” Their voice turns sickly sweet. “Do you want that, dear Haben? Do you want all of our efforts to go to waste? All of our research and teachings, gone in the blink of an eye?”

“No, sir. I want us to prosper and show the world how great we are,” he said, straightening up. “I want to show them compassion and kindness and everything else. Sir!”

He startled when The Prophet reached out and patted him on the head. “Of course. We will not let her or her allies succeed. Has Questor Amalthus said anything else to you at all?”

Haben blinked, skin tingling from where they touched his head. “Uh… Yes! The information contained within these notes were from Subject Zero. Although the subject himself was less than willing, the results show great potential. And… well… The Aegis has gone down. He lost track of his signature somewhere on the Gormotti titan.”

“So be it. Not that I expected much out of such a rebellious weapon. Is that all?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Very good. You are dismissed, Haben,” they said, pausing. “Why don’t you take a well deserved break, hmm? You deserve it for all your hard work.”

“Sir...!” 

“Please, take a day off. If anyone gives you trouble, refer them to me,” they said. He nodded, scampering out of the room. The Prophet took a deep breath, a small smile on their face. Despite the drawbacks, their team of scientists had progressed ahead of schedule on their DNA extraction. Once that was complete, then they could start the genome sequencing, and that’s when Project: Endbringer could truly begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: I got one critical error wrong. Alvis was supposed to say "Six Siblings" instead of five. I forgot that Pneuma existed for a moment :( This has been fixed so if you're like "Did something change?" yes, something did change. I also made some quality of life stuff so the transitions between sections wasn't so awkward. *sighs* such is the life of someone who writes big idea to big idea.
> 
> If anyone has any sources for gender neutral forms of address that function like “Sir,” or “Madam”, I would be appreciative. I’ve been looking and looking and looking but I couldn't find anything.
> 
> I was really trying for a double update. I was trying my dudex’s. But it’s just not going to happen. To sum up the first month of 2021, my classes, and several interpersonal relationship problems in one singular word: Fuck. This semester (and really, this year) has been nothing but emotional blow after emotional blow and academic blow after academic blow. And I know it’s going to get worse before it gets better. 
> 
> The next chapter will end Arc 1 of this story. Chapter 12 will begin Arc 2. Should I release Chapter 11 on time, I will be taking a brief hiatus in the months of March and April. Worry not; I will still be writing. But I will not be particularly trying to meet any type of deadline. I will instead be focusing on progressing in NG+ and finishing one other story that I have one chapter left in.


	11. “The future influences the present just as much as the past."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Extra Extra! Breaking news! An army storms the homestead. Mòrag makes her badass entrance. Logos and Rex save the day. A character mentioned in the story summary finally makes their grand experience. All is well and great and fine and dandy and- *gets chloroformed*. 
> 
> OR
> 
> You should never meet your idols.
> 
> The chapter of Catch-22’s.
> 
> And a certain Aegis coming fucking uNhInGeD.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Single's Awareness Day everyone! I hope you're hanging in there!
> 
> Quote is from Friedrich Nietzsche.
> 
> My jams: A Faint Hope (XC2) (First part), Escape - Going Through the Clouds (XC2), Incoming! (XC2), Drifting Soul (w/lyrics) (XC2), Counterattack (XC2), Loneliness (XC2), Desolation (XC2).

_ ═════════•°• Aletta Region, Torna, Alrest •°•═════════ _

_ “Before we start talking, however, there is something that needs to be said,” Mòrag stated. “Two Brighid’s and Aegaeon’s walking around is going to get confusing rather quickly. If you are referring to my blades specifically, you’ll need to call them Kagutsuchi and Wadatsumi, respectively. Otherwise, they’ll assume you’re referring to Hugo’s blades.” _

_ “Jeez. That’s a mouthful…” Nia murmured. “But I suppose it can't be helped. Anyways, the beginning of our story, eh? Where to begin, honestly? And with whom?” _

_ “Your... Blades? I am so lost,” Lora murmured, brow furrowing.  _

_ “Yes. I assume by your confusion that my companions have not introduced me yet?” she said, tipping her head down. Lora nodded. “ I suppose some introductions are in order, then. My name is Mòrag Ladair. I am the Special Inquisitor of Mor Ardain from the year 4059.” _

_ “4059? But it’s 3564. That’s almost five hundred years from now…” Minoth said.  _

_ Mòrag nodded. “Indeed. Trust me, it was quite the shock to literally crash land into the past.” _

_ “How is that possible?” Mythra asked, glancing at Hugo trying and failing to cover up his snickering. “Time travel is made up. A fantasy, as far as I’m aware.” _

_ “I don’t know,” Pyra said, closing her eyes. “I really wish I did. But we’re here now, in any case.” _

_ “I’m curious to know when exactly you found out about this, Hugo,” Addam stated, crossing his arms. “You seem extremely calm.” _

_ “Well, it’s been about ten or so days, I think. So not too long,” he replied.  _

_ "’Not too long’ you say. And you didn't think to tell me?" Addam asked, frowning. _

_ "I did say you would find out not too long from now," Hugo replied, grinning unapologetically before turning more serious. "But in all honesty, I have been trying to process the information that has been told to me. Being the Special Inquisitor, Mòrag had access to information that would be relevant to me as Emperor. Thanks to her, there are a lot of things that can be prevented and problems that can be fixed that will ensure the safety of my people for generations to come.” _

_ His eyes turn to Mòrag. "I've also been trying to keep an eye on her and make sure she's alright. She does have the tendency to push herself far beyond what she is capable of." _

_ “I am not in need of a baby sitter,” Mòrag murmured.  _

_ “Of course not. You’re not a baby,” Hugo said, smiling. “But you do need someone to make sure that you won’t rush off and try to do something risky again. Need I remind you of that time when you-” _

_ “It was one time. One time, Hugo,” _

_ Zeke shook his head, tsking dramatically. “Some things never change.” _

_ “Do shut up, Zeke,” _

_ “Let’s not get too sidetracked here. We do owe them an explanation, after all,” All eyes fell on Pyra. She resisted the urge to squirm under the intense scrutiny. “I… don’t know where to start, really. The group you see now wasn’t complete until about halfway through our journey. Where everyone’s story begins is unique to them.” _

_ “Who you are would probably be a good start,” Lora said, concern shining in her eyes. The poor girl looked so uncomfortable with everyone’s expectant gaze on her. “Take your time. Don’t let any of us pressure you into anything you don’t want to say.” _

_ “My name… is Pyra,” she said. “I am indeed the Aegis. For reasons neither of us feel comfortable explaining, I was... created, so to speak, to act in place of Mythra.” _

_ “Created…? Neither of us…?” Addam asked. Mythra’s eyes narrowed as she shifted her weight to her hip. She cursed herself for the slip but nodded in acknowledgement. _

_ “Yes. After the events of the Aegis war, I was sealed in a chamber and sunk beneath the Cloud Sea, where I would be awakened by my current driver, Rex, five hundred years later. Our goal was Elysium. We traveled to many places on the way; Gormott, Uraya, Mor Ardain, Indol, Temperantia, Leftheria, Argentum. Even the Land of Morytha below the Cloud Sea and the World Tree above the sky.” Pyra said, trying to remain as neutral as possible. She didn’t want to reveal too much. Not without their entire party here. The story was theirs collectively to tell, not just hers. “Rex and I met many different people along our travels. Nia, Tora, Mòrag, Zeke… And a few that aren’t here with us today.” _

_ “We didn’t all start out as allies,” Mòrag interjected, shifting to make herself more comfortable. “Due to time and a lack of accurate historical information, the true events of the Aegis War were muddled and unclear. Brighid and I were tasked with discerning the existence of the Aegis and her motives so, for a time, we were enemies. It became clear later that neither Rex nor Pyra posed any threat to the world at present.”  _

_ "Malos, however, did. And he and his little band of ruffians gave us quite the fight," Zeke said. "None of our scuffles were easy. Especially given his allies and their various... abilities." _

_ "Abilities? Like?" _

_ "One of them had ether restricting powers similar to Haze," Pyra said, tilting her head down. "Three were masters of attack, two were masters of defense. One of them even had the ability to do a full driver combo without the need of blades." _

_ "That's not possible," Jin said. "Even I'm not fast enough to pull that off." _

_ The irony of that statement was not lost on her. A tense silence fell upon the room. Nia shook her head, elaborating further. "Malos allied himself with a group of flesh eaters and one blade eater. For some, the blade’s natural abilities are enhanced greatly by the introduction of human cells. To say all of Malos’ allies gained extraordinary power would be an understatement." _

_ "A blade eater…? Now what's this?" Minoth asked, tone strained with disbelief. “Actually, before you answer that…. Are you-” _

_ “A flesh eater?” Nia finished, her blade appearance flashing briefly. “Yes, I am. It’s a bit of a long story, though, and probably not the information you really want to know right now.” _

_ “You can say that again…” Dromarch murmured, tail twitching against her foot. _

_ "To answer your first question, a blade eater happens when part of or the entire core crystal of a blade is implanted into the body of a human," Zeke said, letting his coat fall to the floor. He stripped off his shirt, Pandoria's core crystal shining brightly. "This is why I didn't let anyone see me shirtless, by the way. It’s kind of hard to hide this. Though Noowl and Mungo did give me an earful for it." _

_ "I… see," Addam said, unsure if he was more put off by the shameless stripping or the nasty scar on Zeke's body. "So you're a blade eater, then?" _

_ "Yes. He has part of my core crystal," Pandoria said. "It's not all fun and games though. Blades temporarily lose their immortality by giving up part of their crystal." _

_ "Something you gave up of your own free will due to…. circumstances," Zeke said, shrugging his coat back on, kicking the shirt off to the side. "Anyways, that ally of Malos' had a full core crystal, making him super powerful. Most don't survive the procedure with a full core. I think it's somewhere around a five percent chance?" _

_ "A five percent chance? That's quite a gamble," Minoth mused, craning his neck. _

_ "I don't think it was entirely consensual, if you catch my drift," Godfrey replied. Pyra bit her lip. “Although history sings the praises of the Praetorium, we all but confirmed that they were the ones responsible for the cruel experimentation, not Judicium.” _

_ “I can say for certain that the person wasn’t willing,” she said. “The blade eater, while not native born, was Tornan and had to have been captured as a child sometime after I was sealed away. Despite being over five hundred years old, he appeared no older than thirty." _

_ “How do you know that?” Haze asked, before shrinking back. She hadn’t intended for it to sound so accusatory. “If you were sealed away, that is.” _

_ “... It was Mikhail,” Pyra whispered, voice breathy and almost inaudible.  _

_ “Mikhail…? Like, Mikhail Mikhail?” Haze asked, eyes wide. She nodded. _

_ “Yes. I honestly didn’t realize it was him at first until he mentioned Mythra’s name in Tantal,” she said, shifting her weight to her side. “Which was stupid of me, now that I look back. I should have recognized him from the beginning.” _

_ “Architect,” Addam murmured. Mòrag put a comforting hand on her shoulder.  _

_ “Wait… Mikhail was alive in this time?” Crossette asked.  _

_ “Yes. If I remember correctly, he’s around ten,” she said. “Anyways, we had our final battle against Malos at the World Tree after discovering the truth behind Elysium. The both of us made the decision to… sacrifice ourselves and destroy the World Tree as it fell.” _

_ “Whoa whoa whoa. One thing at a time,” Minoth said, waving his hands in the air. “You worked with Malos? And what do you mean by sacrifice yourself?” _

_ She sunk a little further down into the bed. “He was already defeated. His physical body had faded away. Only his spirit remained, which was trapped in Artifice Aion,” she said. Thinking, she chose her next words carefully. Trying to explain the Conduit and how it functioned would be a nightmare and a half. “The Architect, the creator of this world, was dying. With him gone, the World Tree would collapse. As he got closer and closer to death, the more and more the World Tree destabilized. After I sent my driver and our friends away, we used the last of Aion’s power to destroy it, saving Alrest in the process.” _

_ She took a shaky breath. “We were supposed to die. We weren’t supposed to live after that. But I woke up five hundred years in the past alongside all my friends.” _

_ “And Malos?” _

_ “He wasn’t with us but I have reason to believe he’s still around. History has changed and a lot of what I remember Malos doing in the past hasn’t happened,” she said. “While this isn’t true in every circumstance, it usually takes an Aegis to stop an Aegis.” _

_ “So you think he’s changing history,” Haze summed up. She nodded. _

_ “I have no way to verify this without meeting him myself. But yes, I do think he’s stopping his past self from wreaking havoc,” she said. “Rex, Nia, Crossette, Dromarch, and myself woke up in the Lasaria Woodlands shortly after you all departed for Torigoth. We traveled into the desert where we camped out for a couple of days as Rex fell severely ill. Roc, one of Rex’s blades, had ended up with Zeke, Pandoria, and Godfrey in Aletta and had tracked us down so that we could meet up. As we were on our way, we ran into Minoth. The rest is, well, history.” _

_ “And that should be the gist of it,” Nia replied, nodding. “We still haven’t found our last party member, Tora, or his blade, Poppi. Zeke, Mòrag, and myself are also still missing one blade. But we’re all accounted for, otherwise.” _

_ The temperature in the room went ice cold, seeping into the bones of every inhabitant. “You’ve simultaneously managed to say something but not say anything at all,” Jin remarked, shaking his head. “That explains nothing about why you’re here or what your motivations are. Or why you're avoiding naming your enemies.” _

_ “Is the Architect still alive now?” Minoth asked. _

_ “No,” she replied, eyes flashing with irritation. “At least, I don’t think so.” _

_ “Then why is the World Tree standing? From what you said, the World Tree should have collapsed,” he said, eyes narrowed. “And why was the World Tree’s survival dependent on the Architect’s? What is really going on here?”  _

_ Kagutsuchi sighed, raising a hand to her forehead. "Our journey spanned over a year and a half. Do you want to be here for the next several days while we detail every single event that happened to us? Trust me, you would stop caring by the time Lady Mòrag and I got to Gormott the first time." _

_ “And it wasn’t easy, you know. We all lost people that were important to us in one way or another,” Wadatsumi spoke up, craning his neck to the side. “I understand that you’re curious and that you want to understand what’s going on. I get it. But there is no possible way to condense that much information into a short conversation and have you understand it all on the first try. I lived through part of it and even I have trouble processing everything that’s happened.” _

_ Jin exhaled, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He glanced up to look at Pyra. “Just who are you, then? You said you’re the Aegis and that you were ‘created’ to replace Mythra. What exactly does that mean?” _

_ “You also said ‘neither of us’. What do you mean by that?” Addam asked.  _

_ “I… I’m sorry, but that is one question that I can’t answer right now. I don’t feel comfortable sharing that information,” Pyra said, closing her eyes. “Time traveler’s we may be but that doesn’t mean we owe our entire life’s story.” _

_ Addam’s lips pursed slightly. “I have one last question, then. In the list of countries you mentioned that you visited, you didn’t mention Torna. Is there some reason you didn’t travel here?” _

_ Nia and Zeke grimaced, looking away. Pyra barely suppressed a whimper, the only sound in the room being the soft patter of a lone tear hitting the ground. In the dim lighting, the grim expression on her face seemed to age her by several hundred years. “Torna was the final casualty of the Aegis War, alongside most of her people. It’s exposed core crystal was struck by one of Mythra’s artifice blasts during the fight against Malos, sinking below the Cloud Sea to its final resting place in the Land of Morytha.” _

That conversation, if you could call it that, had been around a week ago. Tensions had been high ever since. Minoth was downright hostile to them, watchful eyes always looking for them to slip up. Addam was conflicted and wary of them, thoughts plainly battling it out on his face. Lora would stop by on occasion and greet them but their conversations were nothing more than small talk. Hugo was really the only one who checked up on them and made sure they were really doing alright. 

_ “He’s such a kind soul…”  _ Mythra murmured.

_ “Indeed,” _ Pyra replied, leaning over the stone bridge.  _ “How are you feeling?” _

_ “Like shit,” _ Mythra admitted.  _ “I haven’t gotten much rest. But I’m not the only one. I don’t ever remember such a distraught expression on Addam’s face before.” _

_ “I do,” _ Pyra said.  _ “Right before he sealed us away. He looked so scared and terrified.” _

“Hey.” Pyra glanced back, watching Nia approach. 

“Hey.” she greeted back. “How are the others?” 

The Gormotti grimaced. “Nothing much has changed. Zeke’s still helping out where he can. Hugo is trying to keep Addam and Lora level headed. Minoth is still keeping a close eye on us although he has been spending some time with Addam. The same old, same old really.”

“I figured as much,” she said. “Say Nia, do you think that you could keep a secret?”

“A secret? For you guys? Sure,” Nia said, blinking. “Hit me with it.”

“Jin’s alive.”

The flesh eater snorted. “Is this supposed to be some type of inside joke? I’m well aware.”

“... I wasn’t referring to that Jin,” she said. “I was talking about the flesh eater.”

" _Oh_ ," Nia sighed, shaking her head. “This situation just keeps getting more complicated by the minute, doesn’t it? Where did you even see him?”

“I didn’t see him; Mythra did. He jumped after Rex shortly after he was knocked off the titan,” she explained, rocking her weight forward, clutching at the stone. “I said before that I thought Malos may be changing history. I wasn’t lying when I said that. But...”

“But even Malos cannot bring back the dead,” Nia realized. “You think something else is wrong, don’t you?”

“Yes. And I think whatever or whoever revived Jin may have something to do with it,” she said. “There’s a chance that Jin may be on our side. If he is, he’s going to create yet another divide.”

“And you want my help mitigating the fallout?”

“Yes, just not in the way you think,” she said. “While he may not be clear of danger, I am certain that Rex is alive. Once he gets back, he’s going to try and keep everyone calm and level headed.”

Nia frowned. “I.. honestly didn’t think about it but yeah he will. He _was_ the one who said he would punch Malos and take him out for a drink afterwards.”

She winced when the stone broke underneath her hands, shards embedding itself into her palms. “I’m just asking that you be there for him. As hard as this is for me and Mythra… I can’t imagine how much its going to impact Rex. He hasn’t let it show but everything that happened at the World Tree… with us, you know.” She said, making a gesture with her hand. “It’s.. broken him, in some way. I really can’t describe it but I can feel it. There’s a hitch anytime that the link fades after battle. A hesitation, almost. Like he’s afraid to let go.”

“These next few days… Hell, even these next few weeks… The ball is entirely out of our court. We’re all powerless in the situation. It all depends on whether we can get Addam and Lora lend us their aid. And being unable to do anything is not something Rex takes well.”

Nia hummed in acknowledgement, wordlessly healing the damage done by the stone. “Of course I’ll help him. He’s my driver too. But most importantly, he’s my friend.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, voice breaking. 

“Master Addam!” Mungo cried. They looked up in alarm, watching as the healer sprinted into the camp. “Please, come quickly!”

Addam rushed to his side. Zeke perked up, alarmed by the tone in the healer’s voice. “What’s the matter?”

“There are strange creatures approaching the homestead a couple hundred meters out. They look like hunchbacked demons out of a children’s story!” He cried, voice distorted with fear. 

Zeke already had a feeling that he knew where this was going. “Are they humanoid in shape with a black body and a giant glowing blue section on their chest, almost like a blade’s core crystal?”

“Something like that,” Mungo confirmed.

“Godfrey, get the others. Pandoria, let’s go,” Zeke commanded, coat swirling behind him as he swiveled around towards the entrance to the camp. Pyra and Nia rushed to his side, frantic looks on their faces. He was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. 

“Where are you going?” Addam asked, golden eyes glinting with concern. It was strange to see such an expression on the man’s face when he had been doing everything possible to avoid them. 

“To defend this place, of course. Those enemies are no easy task,” he replied, stepping past the stone archway. 

“You can’t possibly expect to defeat them alone,” 

“Is that a challenge?” Zeke asked, a wild glint in his eye. Addam shivered. 

“At least let me help-” A sword was thrust into his hand.

“Here. You can have this. I don’t exactly need it anymore now that you know who I am,” he said, rushing off with Pandoria close behind. “Let’s show them the wrath of Zeke von Genbu! Bringer of Chaos!”

“Are you insane?” He shouted. 

“Nah. He’s just a little reckless,” Nia said, grinning. “Shellhead, wait for me!” 

She got as far as the edge of the camp before she froze abruptly, slamming her weapon into the dirt. “Actually, could you give this to Hugo? I don’t exactly need it anymore.” He gawked as Nia charged into the distance, her blades trailing closely behind. Hugo moved forward and grasped the sword, eyes wide.

“This is a Legendary Inferno Sword. Where did she get this?” he breathed.

“Ionospheric Mitchell,” Pyra said. “It seemed very grateful that I removed one of the weapon’s from its back.”

“Ionospheric Mitchell?!” he said, blatantly in awe.

“Yes. That’s not the craziest creature we’ve ever taken down,” she replied, smiling. “Territorial Rotbart was… interesting, to say the least.”

“Wow. Do you all use your blade’s weapons?” Lora said.

“Driver’s generally wield the weapon’s of their blades, yes,” Pyra said, summoning her own sword. “They only had regular weapons to blend in. In fact, it’s because of you that the practice became common. But that’s a story for another time. Let’s go!”

“Right…” Addam said, uncertainty painting his tones, before shaking his head. They sprinted to the edge of the camp where Zeke and Nia were already fending the strange creatures. Mungo was right; they did appear like they were something out of a child’s nightmare. They painted the horizon in an eerie, shifting black, trampling over plants and pushing the animals out of their way.

“They’re called Guldos,” Pyra supplied. “The early blade experiments. Not something you really want to mess with. On that note… It’s probably best if you stick back here. We know what these enemies are capable of; they are well above your skill level at the moment.” 

She stepped forward, slashing at one of them that slipped past Roc. “There were the enemies we found deep beneath the Cloud Sea. They like to nullify your attacks by absorbing your elemental ether and just in general causing havoc.”

She took a deep breath. “However, you could assist us from the sidelines. Mythra, you could use your artifice to pick off the ones near the back.” She lit a small flame in her left hand. “And Haze, you could use your abilities to restrict their movements. They are, in all technicality, blades. But please, don’t tire yourselves out. It’s very likely that a few will slip through the cracks in our defenses.”

She blew the flame out, small tendrils flowing in the wind. “I know you probably want nothing more but to rush in and fight. But please, leave it to us. Torna can’t lose you. Any of you. Not again.” She rushed off joining the fray. She side stepped as Crossette sent her bitball careening towards where she had just been standing, the dying screams of the creatures slowly bending down in pitch.

“There’s so many of them,” Haze murmured, clutching her staff close to her side. “But I can try at least.”

The effect on the Guldo’s was almost instantaneous. Their already slow pace was reduced to a slow crawl, allowing their allies to more easily subdue them. Still, Addam didn’t understand how they were remaining so calm. If he were presented the endless mass of enemies before him, he’d collapse halfway through just from stress. It almost seemed like they were used to it. Like they had encountered something like this before. He flinched when Nia took a nasty slash to the shoulder, stumbling back before Pandoria attacked it from behind. Godfrey had frozen the rightmost section of the mass, hoping to narrow the amount of space that they would take up. Unfortunately, the line attacked and shattered the ice, catching the blade off guard. 

He grasped his sword reflexively when Roc gutted one of them with his scythes, the blood-curdling scream making his heart pump loudly in his ears. He wanted so badly to join the fray but he knew that they would only be a liability at this point. While they had no trouble holding back the enemies, many took several arts to defeat. And, judging by how far they got knocked back when one of the creatures struck a lucky hit, he had no doubts that Pyra was telling the truth.

A scorching heat singed the surface of his skin. He jumped back rather belatedly, throwing an arm above his head as blue flames trailed outward from inside the camp. He glanced back and did a double take as Mòrag stepped through the flames. He almost didn’t recognize her; she looked so much softer and vulnerable dressed in casual wear. Now she appeared regal and ever the representative of Mor Ardain that she claimed to be. Wadatsumi and Kagutsuchi walked by her side, like a pack of Feris ready to pounce.

“Mòrag!” Hugo called. “You should be resting!”

“Let me handle this Hugo. We’ve faced these enemies before,” she said, placing between them and the enemy. “Please. I would feel better if you retreated and let us handle it.”

“But you’re still recovering…!” He protested. She patted him on the head, ruffling his hair affectionately. 

“We’ll be fine.” She called, charging forward. “Shall we dance?”

Mòrag rushed towards the ones closest to the camp, sending Kagutsuchi’s flames in an arc shape in front of her. Nia crouched along the line of fire, using it as cover, before jumping through and slashing the nearest enemy with her weapons. Wadatsumi was close behind her, fending off any that tried to take advantage of her exposed sides.

“Welcome to Axe Town! Population; your face!” Zeke cried, charging through the flames and into the fray, his sword crackling with electricity under his grip.

Addam blinked, turning to Hugo. “Is he always like this?” 

“From the stories Mòrag has told me, I’m afraid so,” Hugo said. “I have to say; they were not lying about their prowess in combat. Holding off a small army with only three drivers and a handful of blades is no easy feat.”

“But are we really just going to stand by and let them fight these creatures alone?” Mythra asked, torn between staying back like they were told or jumping into the fray. If she stayed back, she’d get yelled at for not doing anything meaningful. If she jumped in, she’d get yelled at for being reckless and not doing it the right way. It was a textbook Catch-22; damned if she did and damned if she didn’t.

“Yes,” Jin said. “Don’t you have an artifice that you can use?”

“I was wondering the same thing. You sure seemed trigger happy when I approached you in Gormott,” Brighid snarked. 

Mythra snarled. “It’s not just something I can use on a whim! It’s powerful. Powerful enough to sink a titan if it hits the wrong spot and at the wrong time. There’s too many of them to get an accurate and effective target.”

“And apparently it did indeed sink a titan…” Addam murmured, before shaking his head. “Mythra, try to aim for some of the ones in the back. If we can get them to scatter, then it will make their job a whole lot easier.”

She narrowed her eyes, trying to find any discernible pattern to the creature's movement. The front lines had been pushed back several paces behind where Gourmand Galgan rested, moving at a snail’s pace thanks to Haze’s abilities. She grinned, a plan forming in her mind. While it was easy to look at the sheer amount of enemies and be unable to find a clear pattern, there was one. It seemed that the army of Guldo’s were comprised several smaller units that were each led by a larger Guldo. The larger one was taller, bulkier, and had hints of red and blue on its hide. Indiscernible at first glance but obvious once you really started to look. She aimed the blast several paces behind the front line, shooting two beams down to hit the larger enemies. It groaned, the rest staggering to a stop. 

“Yes!” She cheered. 

“Smart,” Aegaeon commented. “They seem to have some kind of hierarchy of leadership.”

“Yes,” Minoth said. “Instinctual, mostly likely.”

“Pyra did say that they were the early blade experiments. Honestly, I was expecting them to be more intelligent,” Jin commented.

“It’s a good thing that they aren’t,” Addam said, not wanting to think about what would happen if they were more intelligent. If they were more than just mindless creatures with battle honed instincts.

“Watch this! Ultimate Lightning Fury Slash… MAX!” Zeke bellowed, slamming his sword into the ground. Electricity crackled all along the surface, taking out an entire section of them in one blown. Crossette whistled, zipping back. Smirking, she rolled her bitball on the ground, tripping up several in the next section of enemies. 

“I really really hate these things,” Nia mumbled, knocking several back. “At least these ones aren’t too tough to deal with.”

“They’re so many of them, though,” Godfrey said, uppercutting a smaller Guldo. It staggered back, falling to the ground. “We’re doing fine right now but we won’t be able to keep this up forever. Where are they even coming from?”

She tossed her weapons to Dromarch, ducking out of the way as he sent a wave of water ether forward. It cut straight through the enemies, clearing the space in front of her. It wasn’t long before more swarmed in to try and grab at her. She sighed. “I don’t know. I’ve only seen these things in the Land of Morytha.”

“That’s the only place that they could be coming from,” Pandoria said. “Lightening Force!” 

“But they shouldn’t be able to breach the surface,” Pyra said, jamming her sword into the ground to unleash Blazing End. She grimaced at the scent of burnt ether. “The Land of Morytha is so far below the surface…”

“Eyepatch! Fall back a little. I can thin their numbers!” Mythra called. After Zeke cleared the area (though not without an indignant squawk), she blasted away the forward-most line. 

“Stop worrying,” She said, aiming another blast at a particularly large conglomerate of enemies advancing towards their weak right flank. “I can feel your anxiety. I won’t let any harm come to the titan.”

“How do you know that?” Addam asked. 

She raised an eyebrow, huffing in annoyance. “You think I just aim at an enemy and shoot at them for fun?”

“Uh-”

“I’m the Aegis. I have the data of every blade and titan stored in my core crystal. I know how much stress an area can take before it risks collapsing.”

He didn’t realize that she put that much thought into her attacks. It unfortunately did little to ease his anxiety. This was his homestead. His home. His pregnant wife was no less than fifty meters away, vulnerable and exposed in their house. And he couldn't do anything to defend her against _this._

“The hell is that?” Nia asked, flabbergasted. A giant, pulsing line of darkness was hovering above the side of the titan. More Guldo’s tumbled out of it, landing squarely on the ground in front of them. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” 

“Well. I think we’ve found where our enemies are coming from,” Mòrag said, sending lines of flames in front of her. Wadatsumi circled from the back, hacking through the enemies as fast as he could. Roc spun his weapons around, creating a whirlwind of electricity and fire that sucked some of the smaller ones into its winds. 

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Pyra said. She absorbed some of the ether in the air, discharging it though her sword. The Guldo in front of her snarled, aiming at her with its claws. She dodged out of the way, leaving Crossette to finish it off. “If this really is the source, then why didn’t we see it earlier? At the rate they’re dropping, there’s no way that they could amass this many without someone noticing.”

“Let’s focus on defeating these enemies first,” Nia suggested. “We can worry about the giant mysterious portal in the sky later.”

“The giant mysterious portal in the sky  _ is  _ the source of these enemies,” Godfrey winced as claws sunk into his right side. He kicked the offending enemy away, bashing its head in with the shield hammer. His next sentence was cut off as he dropped his weapon to his side. “-when are they going to lighten up?”

“I don’t think it will be anytime soon,” Wadatsumi said. “That thing in the sky seems to drop more and more with every passing second.”

“I didn’t see anything like that before now,” Haze murmured. Her arms were aching from the strain of holding her staff up. 

“Neither did I,” Mythra said, aiming several more blasts. “It must have been hiding behind the limbs of the titan a little further back.”

“Hiding? Do you think it’s sentient?” Jin asked.

“No. I don’t know what it is. I’ve never seen it before,” she replied. 

“Oh gods. What if this isn’t the main body of the… Guldos?” Lora asked, placing a hand over her heart. Addam’s eyes widened in realization.

“The capital,” he murmured, clenching his fists. 

“Stop worrying about it,” Mythra snapped, growling when one of the creatures dodged out of the way. “One thing at a time.”

“But-”

“There’s no way we could get to the capital at this point,” She pointed out, cheering when she hit one dead on its core crystal. “Even if we could, there is no way we could leave them to fight alone. They’re only keeping them back because of our efforts.”

“Are you sure?” Brighid asked. She growled. 

“Yes, I’m sure. Now shut up and let me concentrate,” She said, breathing deeply. Her head was starting to hurt from how much she was using the artifice. On a hunch, she sent a weaker blast right towards the portal. At the last second, its mass collapsed in on itself before darting away and expanding once again. 

"The hell...?" She murmured. How did it know to move out of the way? Was it really sentient like Jin had mentioned earlier?

“Is it just me or are their numbers starting to thin?” Haze asked.

“You’re right. I’m actually starting to see flashes of the ground,” Addam said. “That thing in the sky seems to have gotten smaller as well.”

“Are we done?” Nia asked, breathing heavy and rigid. “Please tell me we’re done. I’m well past my limit at this point.” She flinched as an explosion of energy surged out from the rift, wind pushing smaller trees and weaker plants to the ground. Her eyes widened, a vague shape starting to emerge from the center. She cursed, angry tears clouding her vision. What had they done to deserve this? Any of them? Why couldn’t the world just leave them alone?

“What…?” Zeke gasped out, chest heaving heavily. Pandoria whimpered, clutching her hands in front of her body. 

“Why? Why can’t this be over already?” Godfrey murmured, shaking his head angrily. The figure emerging started to take a semi-discernible shape. Most of its form wa cloaked in that strange mist that they had seen the Tirkin and Krusnip dissipate into earlier. However, one thing was for certain. It was far larger than any of the other Guldo’s thus far. And, if his hunch was correct, it was going to be hell to take down. A large beam of light emerged from the heaven’s, striking the creature. The strike did nothing to stop it from emerging; It landed with a large thud several meters away, the ground beneath its feet sinking several centimeters. 

“Zeke! Mòrag! There’s another one coming out!” Pandoria cried frantically, pulling at her ears. Kagutsuchi sighed, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Focus!” Zeke called, swiping Pandoria’s sword in front of him. “This battle isn’t over yet! Come on! One last push to the finish line!”

“Right!” Crossette said, bouncing her bitball. “These guys won’t know what hit them.”

Pyra gasped, watching as one of the quadrupedal enemies reared up to attack. A bright green glow pulsed from her collar and forehead. “Mòrag, watch out!”

Gritting her teeth, Mòrag raised her weapons, hoping to some deity that the creature’s claws would not pierce through her heart. A horrid sound, like sharp claws on glass, grated her ear drums. She opened her eyes, the tip of a sharp nail merely centimeters from her left eye. She stumbled back, taking notice of the large purple shield that saved her eyesight. The creature screeched, dissatisfied that its prey had gotten away. It continued to claw at the barrier, desperately trying to get through. 

“What is that?” Godfrey asked, rushing to Mòrag’s side. 

“No way,” Nia murmured to herself, eyes scanning the horizon. “There’s no way that’s who I think it is.”

“I think your hunch might be spot on, my Lady,” Dromarch said, muscles rippling across his back. “Look up.”

She swallowed, glancing up. Pyra had said that she thought Malos lived; She believed her without a doubt. However, seeing Malos in the flesh still managed to catch her off guard. 

“Heavenly Disrupt!” the Aegis yelled, sending a large orb of darkness towards the Guldo. It struck somewhere on its back, stopping the creature in its tracks as it stretched in pain. Dromarch and Pyra used the opportunity to unleash a joint attack, scorching the already wounded creature with scalding water. Billowing clouds of steam engulfed the area, making it hard to see. The creature snarled, whipping its head around and narrowly missing Roc in the process. 

“What…? There’s no way,” Kagutsuchi whispered.

“Glad to see you haven’t forgotten about us, Brighid,” A smug voice said from behind her. She whipped around, meeting Jin’s blue steely eyes. Squinting, she took in the black plated armor and the glaring red core crystal on his forehead.

She stumbled back, raising her arms up only to realize that she didn’t have her weapons. “Wait a minute. You’re… You died. I watched you die!”

“It’s a long story,” he conceded, drawing his weapon. “I promise that I’ll explain everything once the threat has been eliminated.”

On a hunch, he turned back, meeting Lora’s wide eyed gaze. It surprised him, how much it didn’t hurt to see her alive again. “And to keep things from getting confusing, just call me Shin.”

“How did he know…?” Haze asked. Minoth shook his head in defeat.

“He’s a flesh eater,” the dark blade said. “I know it’s a little hard to see but watch his forehead when you get a chance.”

“Oh no.” Jin said, stiffening slightly. “That’s why they were looking at me like that.”

“Looking at you how?”

“Like they knew me. Mòrag looked like she wanted to murder me where I stood at times,” Jin said, nausea settling in his stomach. He didn't like where this was going.

“What are the chances of that happening, though?” Addam asked.

“I don’t know,” Haze said, clutching her staff close. 

“Haze, are you alright?” Lora asked, concerned. 

“I can’t… I can’t restrain the big ones. They’re too powerful,” she said, hunching over slightly. “I hope they’ll be strong enough to deal with the bigger ones.”

“We’ll be just fine, Haze. Don't worry about it,” A boyish voice said, cutting through the chaos. Addam’s heart briefly stopped as a stranger stepped through the mist. The most notable thing about him aside from his comically short height was the weapon he was holding. Much like Mythra’s weapon, this weapon also had an Aegis’ crystal embedded in it. Except it was purple, which only meant one thing. He stumbled back, staying upright only because of Minoth’s quick thinking. 

“Minoth…” he murmured, heart rate picking up.

“It’s okay, my prince,” he reassured, grasping his driver’s shoulders. “We’ll be okay.”

“Yeah,” Mythra said, falling back to her driver. She wasn’t good at emotions but it didn’t take an expert to identify panic when it happened. Especially in her own driver, who seemed to wake up more and more with a racing heart and shaking hands.

“Rex!” Pyra’s voice cut through the chaos. He had only a couple of seconds to react before he was engulfed in a hug. “You’re alive!”

“Of course I am. But let’s save the reunion for later,” he said, staring down the two enemies. “We’re still not out of the woods yet!” 

“Right!” Pyra said. He slashed the two Guldo's across the face, jumping back when one of them self destructed. 

“Overkill much?” Shin asked, appearing next to Logos’ side.

He sent a glare Shin’s way, absent of its usual heat. “Remind me of why I put up with you again?”

“I’m the only one strong enough to keep you on your toes,”

“That’s not what all the Shin-sized dents in the Marsanes say but to each their own.”

“Boys, boys. Keep the flirting to outside of battle,” Rex said. Nia couldn’t help but chuckle. A literal army of enemies was charging them and Rex had the gall to reprimand Logos and Shin of all people? That was her driver, alright. 

“Rex, I usually trust your decisions without question. But I just have a few… concerns,” Kagutsuchi said. “Is that…?”

“He goes by Logos. And yes, he’s the one from the World Tree,” Rex said, Nia’s blade weapon appearing in his hand.

“I... see,” she replied, catching her weapons, throwing flames the way of the enemies. “Very well then. Let’s end this, shall we?”

"Yeah."

"Why did they lie to us...?" Addam murmured, body shaking. 

"I don't think they did, actually," Minoth said. "The boy clearly doesn't have as much proficiency with Malos' weapon. This must have been recent."

"But why side with your enemy? What reasoning could he possibly have to do that?" he questioned.

"If I had to guess, that was probably Rex's decision solely," Hugo remarked. "Mòrag had mentioned that Rex would have spared Malos in that final battle if he wasn't already dying." He watched Shin topple, launch, and slam an enemy into the ground. "Their hesitancy to name their enemies now makes sense. Mòrag never named Jin as one of Malos' conspirators but I had a feeling that's who she was talking about when she explained what had happened to her."

"I'm still trying to figure out why," Jin said. "Why would I ever side with him?"

"Well, I suppose we could always ask," Lora said, wincing when Roc was knocked into the cliffside by the larger creature. "Heads up guys. I think they might have met their match."

"Right." Addam stated automatically, gripping the sword in his hand. Pyra ducked out of the way, freezing as she assessed the situation. While the portal hadn't dropped anymore of the larger enemies, it had still continuously dropped the smaller ones. They were holding them back now but it was only a matter of time before they would start to get overwhelmed. They couldn’t let the Guldo’s get into camp, especially the big ones. While they now had Malos’ (Logos’?) and Jin’s (Shin’s?) help, they were mostly defending and protecting everyone from the creature’s attacks. 

_ “They’re going to need my help,” _ Mythra said.  _ “Most of these enemies are darkness element. I could easily counter them.” _

_ “But don’t you want to stay hidden?” _ Pyra said.

“ _ I think we’re well past the point of caring about that,”  _ Mythra said. _ “Besides, it’s time I face the past. You think I would have been over this by now…” _

_ “Mythra…”  _ Pyra said. She sighed, staring at the battle in front of her. Mòrag was struggling to hold back the northwest front. Logos was desperately teleporting across the battlefield, trying his best to keep everyone safe. Rex was charging forward with Nia, trying to defeat and destroy the pods before more of them could emerge. Shin was zipping erratically around them all, eliminating as many in one go as he could; even then, she could see the tell tale signs of fatigue starting to grow with every passing minute. Zeke was holding up the rear, catching any stragglers that filtered through. They were managing now but there was no telling what else could hit them next.  _ “Okay. I won’t stop you.” _

_ “Thanks,”  _ Mythra said, feeling the sword transform and change in her hands as a soft yellow glow engulfed their body. “Let’s do this!”

“And there she is,” Minoth murmured, shaking his head. “Who’s next, I wonder? Another me? Another Haze?”

“Call me Hikari!” she yelled back, attacking a group of nearby enemies. She missed this. Not the life threatening events or the onslaught of enemies that didn’t seem to end. She missed the freedom of being able to walk without worrying about what her existence meant. She had done what she needed to do to ensure the safety of their group and their anonymity. But she couldn’t deny that it was hard. 

“How… very.. original of you,” Logos breathed, limping over to her side.

She snorted, flipping a portion of her hair back. “What? My name? Says the one who chose to go by Logos.”

“It’s a logical decision. I can’t say the same about you,” he said, cyclones of darkness enveloping the enemies. “I have to say: It’s… strange to be fighting with you instead of against you.”

“You can say that again,” she breathed, darting through the enemies in a blur of light. Logos followed up, taking out the rest of the group. “It’s about damn time though.”

“Yes,” Logos agreed. “It is.”

"A little help here...!" Mòrag murmured, dodging out of the way of a blast of ether. "Architect, why is it so hard to land a hit?"

"It's the mist," Logos supplied. "It slows you down and obscures your ability to see where it is. That's the only special thing about them. You've faced these enemies before. They're Infernal Guldos."

"Why are these so special?" Wadatsumi asked.

"I don't know," Hikari said, discharging a ray of high energy ether. It blasted away the mist, giving them a small window of opportunity. Really, that was their problem. The mist could be blown away temporarily but it would always come back after a couple of moments. Anytime it surrounded the creatures, it made getting a hit on it near impossible. It's like the weapons would be striking an invisible, shifting barrier that absorbed the impact or the ether. 

_ “Could it have to do with ether content? Siren’s blasts always seem to strike it, even if they don’t do much…” _

Her eyes widened. “That’s it! Get as many orbs on the big ones as possible,” Hikari called. “I have an idea.”

“Got it!” Nia said, twisting around to meet one of the Guldo’s attacks. “We got one of each color on the one closest to us.”

“We still need dark on the other one,” Shin called, slamming a lone Guldo into the ground.

“On it!” Logos called. “Ephemeral Moon!”

“Jeez. Are you just going to steal all of our art names now?” Shin murmured. 

“Shut up!” Logos jabbed back. “At least I don’t have half of my chest hanging out of my armor.”

Rex winced. “Low blow, Logos. Low blow.”

Hikari snorted. “It’s alright. I know that wasn’t directed at me.”

“Besides, didn’t you say you enjoyed the view?” Shin called back. Logos glared. 

“Sorry to break it to you but uh… edgy emo teens aren’t my type,” 

“Focus!” Hikari called, inwardly smiling at their antics. Once Logos got the final orb on the large Guldo, she brought her hand towards her chest, core crystal glowing a brilliant green.  _ “It’s time to wake her up. _ ”

_ “Yes,” _ Pyra agreed. 

Addam’s shielded his eyes as Hikari’s body went limp, a blinding light engulfing the plain. Her body retreated inside the core crystal only to be slowly replaced by another new form. Other than the words on her chest in the foreign script, the thing that struck him the most was her height. She was much taller than Pyra or Mythra had been, appearing to be about as tall as he was. She had brilliant, neon green hair that fell to waist level even though it was put up.

“Pneuma! Oh Architect… You’re alive,” Rex called, raising his arm as energy pulsed off his blade. “I thought that you…” 

“I have always been here,” Pneuma remarked, smiling. “I was just resting and conserving my energy. My apologies, however. It seems like I am late to the party once again. Are you ready, Rex?” 

Rex blinked before responding enthusiastically. “Of course!”

The Aegis floated down to the ground. She glanced over at her driver, tilting her head to the side. Waving her hand in front of his body, the left side of the armor returned to the colors it had before. 

“There. Now you can match both of us!” She said.  Pneuma glanced back at them, staring him straight in the eyes. “Actually, it would be much easier if… Logos. Join us and help.”

“Huh?”

She snorted. “Is there anyone else named Logos? Although, I suppose there would be two of you…”

“It’s just me. The other one’s dead.”

She frowned. “I… did not think you would be bold enough to do that.”

“Ask your driver about it when we’re not in the middle of combat,”

“Our driver, you mean,” she replied.

“Details, details. Sheesh,” he murmured. “Yeah, let’s go. Might as well. Just stay out of my way, you hear?”

“I should say that to you. Rex?” She asked.

“Yeah!” He cheered. Her core crystal glowing, Pneuma sent countless sabers of light around the enemy. The ether pierced the elemental orbs, shattering them and releasing all the latent energy. The Infernal Guldo closest to them screamed in pain, falling to the ground. It faded into a fine, black mist, leaving its distraught companion behind. The other creature roared, sending waves of high energy ether towards them. Rex would have been blown away had Logos not grabbed him by the waist.

“Brilliant,” Minoth murmured. 

“I’ve never seen such power,” Addam remarked.

“Look at how fast they’re moving!” Lora exclaimed, eyes darting back and forth. “I can’t keep up with them.” 

Rex grunted, parrying a strike from the enemy. Hitting the enemy was now no longer an issue. Their stamina, however, was. They were all tired for one reason or another. He could especially feel it from Pneuma, who was tugging at their connection like a lifeline.

They were going to have to end this soon. And fast.

“I can’t use Siren,” Pneuma said. “But if we can get some more orbs on it… I can do another Genesis Saber. One should be enough to take it down at this point.”

“Sounds good. Logos?”

“On it!” He said, sword glowing. “Ephemeral Moon!”

Sword glowing, Pneuma unleashed one final attack. The creature fell unceremoniously. Rex sank down to his knees, lungs aching with exertion. He hadn’t had to fight like that since the World Tree and he had spent most of the time since then comatose. Fighting such an exhausting battle hadn’t been easy. He turned head, watching as Pneuma started to approach. Before she could reach him, her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she fell forward, switching to Pyra mid-fall. He barely managed to catch her, the added weight making his arms ache.

“Hey. Good job out there. I’m proud of you. All of you,” he soothed, kissing her forehead. “You deserve to rest. Take it easy.”

“You too. I missed you,” she whispered, voice shaky. “It was so hard without you… I…”

“Shh. It’s okay. I’m here now,” Rex said, pulling her arm over his shoulder as he stood up. “Let’s take it nice and easy.”

“I got her,” Logos said quietly, taking her from Rex’s grasp. “You got pretty beaten up back there.”

“Wow. It’s almost like there was a literal army of enemies to fight,” he said sarcastically, grateful for the help. His eyes turned to his friends who were waiting just at the edge of camp. They looked beaten up but hopeful. He was glad that there weren’t any serious injuries among them. As his eyes scanned the rest of the group (undoubtedly Addam’s group, given that Haze and the other Jin was among them), his gaze landed on one’s expression in particular. Rex’s heart sank into his stomach. He knew that face. He knew that face all too well. 

“Back off,” Addam warned, putting himself between Lora and the others. He swallowed the lump in his throat, doing his best to not fall over despite his shaking legs. 

“Addam-” Hugo said. 

The words came out in a hiss. “Don’t ‘Addam’ me! I thought you said that you defeated Malos, not allied yourself with them. Why didn’t you say that you shared a driver?” 

“Whoa whoa whoa. If you’ll just give me a sec- What the fuck!” Rex ducked out of the way of Addam’s sword. “What the fuck!”

“I can ask you the same thing,” Addam said, glaring. Rex shielded his eyes as green light emerged from his left. "Addam Origo!" 

"What? I'm not wrong to defend my home. Your driver and his... blade are a liability if everything you are saying is true. Unless you lied about everything that you, Pyra, whatever, just said," Addam remarked, face steely.

"He is not any more of a liability than I am. Pyra did not lie; the blast of our artifice was ultimately the reason the titan sank beneath the clouds," Pneuma said, pulling herself from the other Aegis’ grip. "Logos was behind the destruction of the capital, yes. But I was the one that made it fall. We are both guilty."

"It was an accident. You would not have done it had you known it would happen," Addam shook his head. "It's not your fault."

The air in the camp become supercharged with energy. "Except it is. Mythra did not create Pyra, an alternate version of herself that was everything she was not, because she was bored. She believed that Torna's downfall rested on her shoulders. She believed that the relationship between both of you failed because of her.  _ She wanted to kill herself because of everything that happened here _ ," 

"What...?" Haze said, startled. 

"We told you that our goal was Elysium. What we did not say was that we wanted to get to Elysium so we could ask the Architect to kill us," Pneuma said. "And we would have had Rex not made us see reason."

“You wanted to kill yourself...?” Lora asked. She narrowed her eyes. 

“And, as with seemingly everything in history, it started here. In Torna. With you. I, Mythra, nor Pyra are stupid. We knew you did not want us. We knew you feared us. But we had no choice but to be one of the many puppets in the game of politics.”

“That’s not-”

"Don't make me laugh," Pneuma said. The detachment in her voice made Rex shiver. "There is a reason you could never handle my full power."

"Pneuma..." Logos trailed off, feeling a distinct air of dread roll off his counterpart. 

"You are a coward, Addam," Pneuma said, her tone leaving no room for argument. She advanced toward him slowly, the clack of her heels on the stone the only audible sound in the camp. "Mythra and Pyra may be too shy or meek to state their thoughts but I am not. You sealed me away deep beneath the Cloud Sea for five hundred years because you were afraid of what I could do. You lost a lot in the battle; Hugo, your sense of self, your sanity… and my respect for you. You activated my power, briefly, during that fateful battle. But you were too afraid of your own damn blade. Your constant companion in this stupid war. So you lost control and did the thing you do best; run away and hide with your tail tucked beneath your legs."

She stopped right in front of his face. "Malos was only the symptom of a much greater problem; Questor Amalthus, or as he was known in our time, Praetor Amalthus. He will not hesitate to assassinate his way up the hierarchy again. If he is allowed to do what he wants freely, history will repeat itself again. So what are you going to do Addam? Are you going to let your fear dictate your reason? Are you going to doom Torna once again? Or are you going to stop resisting and help us stop this once and for all?"

"I don’t know!" He stated, voice breaking harshly. "Why is this on me? Why is my decision that important!"

"Because this is what you signed up for," Pneuma remarked. "You took on that responsibility the moment you picked up my core crystal."

"I didn't have a choice! I was the only one out of four who could resonate with blades!"

"You could have found someone else to carry that responsibility," Rex said, shaking his head. This was the so-called legendary Addam? Maybe the old saying was true. Maybe you shouldn't meet your idols. "Pneuma, Mythra, Pyra, Logos... They're blades, yes. Aegises, even. But they're first and foremost people."

"Did you know what five hundred years sealed away did to me, Addam? What being unwanted felt like?" Pneuma said, voice breaking slightly. "Rex can tell you. Hell, they all can tell you."

She placed a hand over her core crystal. "It's my job, now, to heal and move on in the way I see fit." She clenched her fists. "But I'm not going to let that happen again. I'm not going to let what happened here happen again. Get your head out of your arse, Addam. Let me know when you're ready to act like the adult you are supposed to be." She stopped briefly, glaring back at her former driver. “Oh, and if you try to threaten Rex again…” Her gaze turned downright sinister. “Let's just say by the time I'm done with you... You will **beg** me for the privilege of death.”

She turned around, walking out of the camp. Zeke hummed lowly, still slightly out of breath. Pandoria leaned against him, exhausted. “Mate, that was a little uncalled for. I don’t understand what’s going on either. Attacking blindly, however, isn’t going to help anyone.” 

“I agree. There is obviously much more to this situation than meets the eye,” Mòrag said. 

A hysterical giggle burst out from Addam’s chest. He threw his head back in unbridled laughter, barely able to breath. “I can’t believe this. You’re all standing here as if the blade that sunk  _ two titans worth of people isn’t standing right there nonchalantly, like he’s waiting for the waitress to bring him food. _ I don’t care who you say you are. I don’t care if he calls himself Malos, Logos, or John Doe. He’s still a monster who killed countless people. He’s still a threat to us all. You can’t save someone that’s done what he has done,” he said, sending an accusatory glare towards Logos. “And the fact that you aren’t protesting speaks volumes.”

Logos sighed. Rex’s eyes fluttered shut, tears welling at the edges of his eyes. He swallowed heavily, looking down in defeat. It wasn’t even worth bothering to protest. He knew what was coming. And there was nothing he could do about. “Fine then. I know when I’m not wanted. Have fun dealing with this mess on your own.” Logos teleported away in a flash of purple ether. 

Shame, betrayal and heartache burned his lungs and throat, his heartbeat stuttering. Rex took a deep breath, eyes hardening as he lifted his chin to meet Addam’s gaze. “You know, you went down in history as a hero. The great savior of the world that fought alongside the mighty Aegis Mythra. The epitome of empathy and kindness,” he said, crossing his arms. “Who knew that you would turn out to be such a bitch?”

“Excuse me?!”

“We don’t owe you anything. Our stories, our reasoning, our information, and certainly not our services. We just defended your home from those creatures. Us, not you. We did so with no strings attached,” he said, shaking his head. “If you’re going to cast Logos out, then go ahead and kick Shin out too. Do you know how many Ardanians he’s murdered over the years? How many innocent and guilty people that he’s slaughtered all in the name of his goals? I know all about it considering I was one of them. Mòrag could probably tell you all about the warships they lost to Torna.”

“What.” Lora said, eyes widening. 

“There is so much more going on. So many forces like Indol working in the shadows, looking for the perfect opportunity to strike. And they have one. They have one right now, actually, because we’re so divided,” he sighed, frowning. He turned his back, glancing over his shoulder. “I can’t force you to do anything. I can’t force you to listen to us, to understand where we’re coming from. So cast us out if it makes you feel better. Arrest us. Imprison us. Execute us. Just don’t come running when it turns out that you need our help after all.” He stalked off, exhaustion starting to settle in his stomach. His arms ached and his knees felt like they were about to give out from underneath him. He didn’t care about his injuries, though. He didn’t care about saving the world, stopping Indol, or convincing Addam and Lora to help them. He didn’t even care about where he was going. 

He felt... empty. Like he was watching his life through somebody else’s eyes. Like his body was being piloted from afar as he was strung along for the ride. He settled next to a tree, deciding that this would be a nice place to nap. It would be infinitely better than trying to stay in the camp and being stared at all day. It was infinitely better than the pity or disapproval he would get from Zeke, Mòrag, and his blades. If he tried to save someone, he was damned. If he didn’t try, he was screwed. It didn’t matter what choice he made, in the end; the outcome would be the same. 

He curled up, bringing his hands close to his heart. Helping people was his strong suit. It was what he was good at. But he had failed. Failure itself was nothing new to him? But this? He had failed as a driver and as a person. He had promised Logos that he would help him, that he would defend him. And then he had to go and fuck it up. It was Pyra and Mythra all over again. What was next? Would he be unable to defend his other blades? Would he be unable to stop whatever was coming? Would he lose everyone that was important to him? Would he be imprisoned for the rest of his life? Tortured? Or worse? He didn’t know. He didn’t like not knowing. His eyes closed on their own accord as he fell into a restless slumber, the taste of bile on the back of his tongue. If he had stayed awake a moment longer, he would have heard the sounds of wings beating in the wind as a large shadow descended on the camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interesting Factoid that I noticed while writing the past several chapters: Noticed how each Aegis’ ‘chosen’ name corresponds exactly in the number of letters with their given name? Pneuma/Mythra have 6 letters, Alvis/Ontos and Malos/Logos both have 5 letters. I don’t know if this was intentional but I found it interesting, nonetheless. 
> 
> There's a reference to a certain fic in this. Let me know if you pick up on it!
> 
> And yeah. I hope none of you thought it was going to be easy getting the others to accept Logos. Because it's going to be several chapters of tough conversations, arguments, and other not-fun things. 
> 
> And yay cliffhanger! Totally didn't intend to spew out over 10,000 words of plot but it happened! See you guys in late April!

**Author's Note:**

> Pyra's 'new' outfit is based on her beta design (Which you can find here: https://twitter.com/twiii_princess/status/1170320995669950466) with a slight change. All of the exposed skin with the exception of her face would be covered in a pinkish-red nylon material (like what stockings are made of). I have a headcannon that Mythra's and Pyra design are missing large sections of clothing because they are not full renders, so to speak, of the Pnuema core. They're missing elements of the data and thus missing articles of clothing. After Pnuema reveals herself, Mythra's and Pyra's design would have changed to reflect them becoming whole and whatnot. I know this doesn't happen in game buuttt it's happening here. 
> 
> As for Future!Mythra's design... I kinda imagine her with her beta design (which you can find here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Xenoblade_Chronicles/comments/ard5nz/mythra_beta_design/. It's the one on the bottom) with white tights, no boob window, and a black fabric layer underneath attached to the dress that she's wearing (It would be cover the exposed skin on her torso and would hang just slightly past the ends of the dress). Oh! And don't forget the thigh band.... thing. Not really sure what to call that.
> 
> I am not British (or from that part of the world). If you see something off with how these characters speak, please don't hesitate to let me know and let me know how to correct it!
> 
> Please don't hesitate to drop constructive criticism or comments down below. I don't bite (much)!


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